


Star Wars: the Last Jedi Rewritten

by TessallationAzure



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 73,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27773737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessallationAzure/pseuds/TessallationAzure
Summary: A ground up rewrite of Episode VIII, in continuity with the Force Awakens (though there may be some stylistic alterations here and there). As a disclaimer, I don't hate the actual movie, this is just my take on the film.
Relationships: Finn/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 20





	1. Opening Crawl

_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away_

**STAR WARS**

**Episode Viii**

**THE LAST JEDI**

**It is once again a period of civil war in the galaxy. The sinister FIRST ORDER has risen to challenge the NEW REPUBLIC.**

**From a citadel hidden among the billion stars of the galaxy, they have struck a crippling first blow against the REPUBLIC. But the daring group of vigilantes known as the RESISTANCE have struck back, destroying the FIRST ORDER'S mighty STARKILLER BASE.**

**Now, both sides find themselves in a tense standoff, desperately low on resources. As the galaxy looks on from afar, the RESISTANCE and the FIRST ORDER scramble to find a means of tipping the balance of conflict in their favor. Princess Leia of the RESISTANCE has dispatched a young scavenger to find the one man who might restore hope to the galaxy, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker....**


	2. the Battle of D'Qar

The _Finalizer_ ran dark and silent through the roaring tunnel of hyperspace. Not a light on its massive wedge of a frame. Its engines glowed a muted blue.

That same blue lit the swirling mist in the dark chamber. A cubic holocron sat on the pedestal. From it came the whispers.

_For a thousand generations the Jedi Knights- Concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think- Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny- There is conflict in even the darkest of souls, remember that, Ben-_

A short distance away, red light dripped through the mist from the pyramidal holocron on a second pedestal.

_At last we will have our revenge- I sense great fear in you- Have you ever heard the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise- you underestimate the power of the Dark Side-_

The light of the holocrons cast dim reflections off of Kylo Ren's mask as he knelt between them. The whispers turned to an incoherent static as they built on each other. Only one voice was clear.

_Ben? Ben, I know you can hear me. Ben, answer me._

Kylo Ren took his lightsaber from where it was mounted on the wall. He left the room. The door slid shut behind him.

The halls of the Star Destroyer were dark. The only light came from hyperspace through the viewports lining the outer wall.

Ren moved to affix his lightsaber to his belt. He looked at its rough, patched, chassis. Though it stayed unlit, he heard it activate in his head, heard the distinct sound of plasma super-heating flesh. His hand began shaking. He dropped the lightsaber. It banged on the hard floor. He bent to pick it up. As he did, he saw he was standing in front of an open door. The darkened medical bay was full of unarmored stormtroopers sitting on hover-gurneys or on the floor. All of them were staring at him. Ren picked up the lightsaber. He stood and kept walking.

The only sounds were his foot falls and the muted thrum of the engines. The halls were empty save for him.

Ren reached the bridge. Only essential power was on. Lambent red light rose up from the terminals in the data pits on either side of the main walkway.

Ren walked up to the holo display of the Ileenium system. General Armitage Hux leaned forward on the other side of the display. Captain Phasma stood to one side, the light of the holo making a light show out of her chrome armor.

"Status?" Ren said.

"As long as we maintain reserve power, we will have more than enough time to crush the Rebels when we arrive," Hux said. "We will not allow their treacherous destruction of Starkiller Base to go unpunished."

"However," Phasma said in a robotic tone that made the average droid sound expressive, "The _Conqueror_ has fallen behind due to lack of fuel. And the _Harbinger_ lost most of its TIE fighter complement at Starkiller Base. We will be relying on The _Fulminatrix_ to carry the battle."

Ren examined the astrography of the system. "If we jump in behind these small moons, we can launch the TIEs from cover."

"You're talking like a rebel, Ren," Hux said. "We do not debase ourselves with crude guerrilla tactics. We are the First Order. We have right on our side."

"Look around, Armitage. This isn't the Empire. We're outnumbered and alone, with no resources and no one to call for help. And the whole galaxy's against us." Ren smiled beneath his mask. "We're all rebels now."

"Shall I prep the troops for ground assault?" Phasma interjected.

"Yes," Ren said.

"Of course not," Hux said at the same time.

They looked at each other.

"Remember, Ren, you may be the Master of the Knights of Ren, but you have no official rank here. The parlor tricks your kind trade in are of no use in naval warfare. I am in command of this battle fleet."

"Are you, Armitage?" Ren lifted his hand. He made a slight squeezing motion. Hux gagged reflexively and placed a hand to his throat before he realized nothing had happened. "See, old friend? The Force has a strong influence on the weak minded."

Hux colored as much as his deathly pale skin would allow. "I was just saying we have no need to commit ground troops. We can destroy the Resistance base on D'Qar from orbit."

"Gentlemen," Phasma said. "We'll be in-system in five. We still need to transmit battle orders to the rest of the fleet."

Hux and Ren stared at each other in stony silence.

"I will prepare the ground troops for boarding. Just in case," Phasma said. "This is why we need an admiral," she muttered.

"As you were, Hux," Ren said finally. "If I feel the need to comment on your battle plan, I'll let you know." he stepped back from the holoprojector.

Hux let out a quiet breath.

"Alright, men," he said to the crew. "We are ready to rain down retribution for all the lives lost on Starkiller Base. I want us positioned behind those small moons for cover. We will take no more unnecessary losses today. That is a promise."

Ren shook his head at Phasma. She remained impassive.

Imperial standard klaxons began going off as the ship prepped for combat. Even those were muted by the low power, making a faint and ghostly echo through the halls.

Ren hid his hand in his robe. It wouldn't stop shaking. He bowed his head.

**D'Qar, Resistance base.**

Princess Leia Organa's head was bowed, eyes closed. Her head shot up suddenly. "The First Order is here," she said.

"Are you sure, Princess?" Admiral Ackbar said over the holo. He was coordinating the evacuation from orbit. "There is nothing on the-"

Alarms began ringing around the base.

"I should know better by now," Ackbar said, shaking his head. He turned away from the projector, "All hands! Man your battle stations!"

"Mistress Leia, I would recommend getting on a transport _at once_ ," C-3PO said.

"I'm on the last transport out, Threepio, like always."

"This is the battle of Hoth all over again," Threepio bemoaned. "I am caught in a vicious cycle, doomed to repeat one horror after another. It's enough to make one want a memory wipe."

Leia rolled her eyes, "There's a transport leaving right now if you want to hop on."

"I think I shall stay by your side, mistress Leia."

"Alright then." Leia switched the communicator to a different line. "How's my favorite pilot?"

"Ready to go, General." Poe Dameron said. His T-70 X-wing was streaking for the First Order fleet. "They're set up behind the moons. The capital ships can't get a clean shot. I've never seen that kind of tactic from them before."

"That's how we did it back in the Rebellion," Leia murmured. "I guess we're going to need to go to them. I wonder if I can find anyone to volunteer."

"We're on it," Poe said almost before she could finish. "Not that I can't take on both of those Destroyers all on my own, but... I get backup, right?"

"Blue and Red squadrons are deploying now. Just stay alive up there."

"Well, if you insist. We're going in." Poe locked S-foils in attack position. "Hold on BB-8."

**The** **_Finalizer_**

"We have a single X-wing incoming," an officer reported.

"One?" Hux snorted. "Blow it out of the sky."

The _Finalizer_ opened up on the X-wing.

Poe sent his X-wing into a tight barrel roll as turbolaser blasts bigger than his ship shot by.

"Well, we've got their attention," he said.

BB-8 beeped skeptically.

"Yes, that's the plan."

_Beep_.

"No, I never said it was a _good_ plan."

"What do you see, Dameron?" Leia said over the comm.

Poe sent the X-wing into a nose dive to avoid another shot.

"Lotta people shooting at me." he reported.

"I gathered. We need details, flyboy. The moons are blocking scanners."

Poe fired. Two gun turrets disappeared in a ball of fire.

"We got two FOSD's. I'm not seeing any fighters yet. It's not even a full battle group, ma'am. The fleet can shred these guys. Easy."  
Then another ship dropped out of hyperspace; a hulking, flattened wedge that dwarfed the other Star Destroyers.

"The _Fulminatrix_ has arrived," an officer reported to Hux.

"Oh no." Poe said.

BB-8 beeped nervously.

"We have a Dreadnought." Poe reported. "Ma'am, that thing could take out half the fleet."

"I know." Leia said. "Scramble Bombers!" she shouted.

Poe took out two more turrets.

"Someone _kill that fighter_!" Hux shouted.

Kylo Ren cleared his throat.

"What?" Hux snapped.

"Turbolasers can't hit a ship that small. Even if it wasn't being piloted by Poe Dameron. The officers are just too scared to say anything."

"I'm not a naval officer." Hux said scathingly, "I don't know these things."

"He's already cleared out an area of anti-fighter turrets on the hull. As long as he hides there we can't hit him. It's one X-wing. Ignore it and focus on the attack." Ren said.

"Ignore the X-wing!" Hux told the crew loudly. "Prepare to deploy TIEs on the Resistance fleet. We need to give our Dreadnought cover." he glanced surreptitiously at Ren.

Ren nodded in approval.

TIE fighters, both the standard /fo model and the Special Forces variant with a rear gunner seat, deployed from the _Finalizer._

Poe whipped around and opened up on the fighters as they left the bay. He got two on his first pass.

"Where's my backup?" he said, "Not that I need it. Just, y'know, curious."

"Blue Leader coming in," Tallissan Lintra said from her A-wing. "Engaging TIEs."

Blue Squadron and Red Squadron, both an odd assemblage of X-wings and A-wings, hit the TIEs.

Space began filling up with explosions and the scream of twin ion engines.

"Nice to have you, Tallie," Poe said as he kept picking off TIEs leaving the hangar. "You're late to the party, but still, nice."

"Hey, this is great. We actually have them outnumbered," Tallie said. She fired a barrage of concussion missiles, taking out two TIEs.

"That's a first," Leia muttered.

The Dreadnought and the two Star Destroyers began moving out from behind the moons while the fighters were engaged.

Two enormous cannons deployed on the Dreadnought's underside.

"That's not good." Poe said. "General, that Dreadnought isn't going anywhere. Where are those bombers?"

Leia checked the duracrete-slug slow progress of the massive MG-100 StarFortress bombers. "Still a few minutes out."

"What I wouldn't do for a few squadrons of Y-wings right now. We'd have those ships blown up and be back home in time for caf." Poe muttered as he sent his X-wing into a sharp dive under the _Finalizer's_ prow. Emerald laser fire from the TIE on his tail streaked through space around him.

"I was actually the one who signed the bill that decommissioned those," Leia said.

"I always knew you were an Imperial sympathizer at heart, ma'am." Poe fired his forward thrusters, slamming him hard against his seat as the X-wing stopped on a dime. He fired thrusters again, whipping around and opening up right into the pursuing TIE's cockpit. Shrapnel beat against Poe's cockpit, followed by the heavier thump of the TIE's pilot bouncing off the viewport.

"We thought we were entering an age when weapons of destruction were no longer needed," Leia said. And, to herself: "I suppose it was a foolish dream."

In the gulf of empty space between the moons and D'Qar, the First Order Destroyers engaged the Resistance's Nebulon-C frigates and _Free Virgillia_ -class Bunkerbusters. Turbolaser fire streaked through space. Shields sparked and rippled under weapons fire.

From behind the Destroyers, the Dreadnought fired its Orbital Auto-Cannons. A Resistance frigate went down, shield and hull both penetrated with the single shot. Air, flame, and bodies fell into space from its shredded hull.

"The bombers aren't going to get here in time." Poe muttered, "BB-8, what can you tell me about that monstrosity?" _  
_

_Beep_ , _beep_.

"An exhaust port?" Poe echoed. " _Yes_. Always wanted to shoot one of those."

Poe left the _Finalizer's_ shadow and streaked for the Dreadnought.

From the base, Leia tracked Poe's ship on the holoprojection of the battle.

"Dameron, what do you think you're doing?" she said.

"Saving the day, ma'am. The First Order churns these battleships out way too fast. There's an exposed exhaust port. One clean shot can cripple the whole thing."

"We know that. Intel exposed that flaw months ago. It's a shot in a million. It's more efficient to just bomb it."

"I can make the shot, ma'am." Poe diverted all power to engines.

"No, you can't. I'm not willing to risk our best pilot. Pull back and cover the bombers."

"Sorry, ma'am. You're breaking up." 

"Dammit, Dameron. You're going to get yourself killed." Leia snapped. The line went dead.

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"Shield's holding," a First Order officer reported.

"They are concentrating fire on the Dreadnought," Hux mused.

"Good thing we didn't choose that for a flagship," Kylo Ren said. "The superweapons take all the fire. Always do."

"Indeed. Here's to not being the biggest threat in the room."

"Sir, we have an X-wing going for the _Fulminatrix,_ " the officer said. "It's... um... _that_ X-wing."

"Dameron," Ren said. "This could be a problem."

"Or an opportunity. I don't know naval combat, but I know tactics," Hux said. "Let him come."

Poe's X-wing hugged the hull of the immense Dreadnought. He fired nonstop, taking out every gun turret and exposed piece of machinery in his path. A trail of fire bloomed behind his flight path.

"We're not denting this thing," he muttered. The Dreadnought's massive cannon boomed again. Poe knew it meant another whole ship had been lost.

BB-8 beeped.

"Coming up on the exhaust port? I see it, buddy. Give me proton torpedoes." Poe fired as he flew past. 

The twin torpedoes hit on either side of the port.

"Damn," Poe said. "Coming around for another run."

"Are we just going to let him take potshots?" Kylo Ren asked.

"Just wait," Hux said. "Get a couple of TIEs on Dameron," he instructed. "Make him sweat."

Poe fired again. Explosions as the torpedoes hit the hull.

_Beep_.

"I know, I know. We only have a few torpedoes left. Just believe, buddy. We can do this."

Laser fire from incoming TIE fighters streaked around him.

Tallie spun her A-wing through the wreckage of a ship taken down by the Dreadnought. The TIE on her tail slammed into debris, exploding.

"Keep those TIEs off our bombers," she ordered.

The Bombers were being swarmed.

"Poe, where are you? We need you taking out TIEs." she said.

"Busy." Poe grunted.

BB-8 beeped urgently.

"One shot left?" Poe said, "Guess this is it then. Only one thing left to do, BB-8."

Poe took another run at the port as the TIEs pursued him.

**Resistance Base**

"Princess," Ackbar said over the comm, "That Dreadnought is coming into range of the base. Get out of there now!"

"Not until the last man's out, Admiral," Leia said. "Hey!" she snapped at a pair of soldiers. "What are you laserbrains doing, waiting to throw the stormtroopers a surprise party? Get a move on!"

They scurried away.

"Ma'am," Tallie said over the comm. "Blue Leader here. Poe's in trouble. Permission to go pull his ass out of the fire."

Leia considered, "We need you on escort duty. Send Red squadron. We're not leaving anyone behind."

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"Dreadnought coming into firing range," the officer reported.

"Excellent," Hux said.

Beneath Kylo Ren's robe, his hand began shaking again.

"Now or never," Poe said. Then he fired forward thrusters, stopping his X-wing dead in space as the TIEs closed in. He lined up the shot on the exhaust port. The targeting reticule struggled to lock onto the tiny port. "Come on, come on."

Another bomber went down under heavy fire. There were only two left, and they couldn't get any closer without being taken apart by the Star Destroyer's turbolasers.

The TIEs swooped in on Poe's motionless ship.

A second before they could fire, they were lanced with a barrage of laser fire.

"Red Squadron reporting," Poe heard over his comm.

"That's it," Hux said. "They came for him. Point defense guns, now."

Dozens of turrets deployed from hidden compartments along the Dreadnought's hull. They opened up on the X-wings; quick, methodical, precise. Red Squadron burned. All of them. A dozen shattered X-wings and a dozen charred bodies hung in space around Poe.

He fired his last shot at the exhaust port.

He missed.

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"We're in range!" the officer said.

Hux grinned. "This is for Starkiller Base. _Fulminatrix,_ fire!"

The Dreadnought fired its orbital cannon at D'Qar.

Before the shot could hit, a Resistance frigate threw itself in front of it. The vessel exploded.

"Damn foolish martyrs," Hux muttered.

Poe's face fell. His breath left him.

BB-8 shrieked in his ear.

Poe put the X-wing into a spin on instinct as the space around him filled up with laser fire.

"Dameron, get back to the fleet!" Leia barked in his ear. "We're getting out of here."

"Okay," Poe said leadenly.

He mechanically sent the X-wing through the series of maneuvers needed to evade the TIEs.

Poe streaked back to the fleet.

Leia stood at the foot of the last transport to leave the base.

She looked around one final time to make sure everyone was out.

"Princess, we have to go!" someone called from inside.

Leia went inside and the ship lifted off.

Leia's transport and Poe's X-wing touched down in the hangar of the Resistance's flagship Mon Calamari 85 Star Cruiser, the _New Hope_.

"-what are your orders, Princess?" Ackbar was saying over the comm. "We can win this engagement if we grit our teeth, I know we can, but the losses we've already sustained..."

"You're right. No one else dies if we can help it. Everyone has been evacuated. Get us out of here." Leia said.

"You heard her," Ackbar barked. "Make the jump to lightspeed!"

One by one the Resistance fleet entered hyperspace.

Poe climbed down from the X-wing. He took off his helmet and wiped his eyes before Leia could see.

"Ma'am... Princess..." he began. "I thought..."

"Save it," Leia said. "Your misguided antics got over a hundred men and women killed."

"A _hundred_?" he said, stepping back like he'd been slapped.

"All of Red Squadron, all the bombers we lost that Red Squadron couldn't cover. All the ships that Dreadnought took out because the bombers couldn't stop it. It's not just you up there, Dameron. You're no longer Black Leader. You're no longer..." Leia took a breath, "I don't have time for this right now. I'll figure out what to do with you later."

"Wait, General," Poe said. "I thought I could do it. Like... like in the stories. I thought I could save everyone. I thought the Force was with me."

Leia sighed. "That's all we ever needed. Belief in the Force. Belief in each other. That's how we beat the Empire. Now... Now my son is a Sith Lord. And he ran a lightsaber through my husband's chest. I don't know what to believe." She walked away.

" _He_ could have made the shot," Poe said quietly. "Couldn't he have?"

Leia didn't need to ask who he meant. "Yeah. Yeah, he could have. That's why we have to hope Rey can bring him back."

In the medical bay of the _New Hope_ , Finn woke up. He was wearing some kind of bacta filled suit. The last thing he remembered, he'd been on Starkiller base; not _losing_ a fight with Kylo Ren, obviously, but... winning by unorthodox means. Now he was...

He looked around.

"What the hell did I miss?" he muttered.


	3. Whisper and Memory

**Ahch-To**

Luke Skywalker stood on a cliff by the edge of the sea.

The metal on the girl's belt, a staggering array of tools and apparent junk, chimed together in the wind. She took off her battered, yellow, Rebel Alliance pilot helmet and tucked it under her arm. A flower was tucked into a recess to one side of the forehead. The open front of the helmet had the face of a TIE pilot mask welded over it. She held out the lightsaber to him.

Luke looked at her. He looked at the lightsaber.

She waited with bated breath.

Finally, he took it.

"I haven't seen this weapon in a long time," Luke said. His voice started up with the rattle of a rusty engine. "I lost it the same day I lost this." he held up his mechanical hand.

"I found it-" she began, faltering over her words.

"How did you find me?" Luke said over top of her.

"The Empire kept records of planets with Jedi temples. A map. The First Order reconstructed it and used it to figure out where you might go."

Luke's finger drifted towards the activation stud of the lightsaber.

"I'm with the Resistance," she said hurriedly. "Princess Leia sent me."

Luke moved his finger away. "Why?"

"Why?" she echoed. "You're Luke Skywalker."

"I know my name," he said. 

He walked past her, down the hill.

"Wait," she said, running after him. He was walking at a sedate pace but she somehow couldn't keep up. He always seemed to stay the same distance ahead. "We need you."

"Leia would know better than to send for me here," Luke said. "Especially with _this_." he tossed the lightsaber over his shoulder.

Rey dived to catch it.

Luke watched her carefully from the corner of his eye. "Hmm," he said.

"I didn't come alone," she said. She pointed further down the hill.

Luke looked.

"Chewie! Artoo!" he ran down the hill to them.

Chewbacca swept Luke into a hug.

"Uff," Luke gasped. "I missed you too." he bent down in front to Artoo. "Hello, old friend." he put his hand on the droid's dome.

Artoo beeped and chirped extensively at him.

"I'll tell you later, Artoo," Luke said. "Where's Han? Is your hip acting up again, old man?" he called down the hill.

Chewbacca made a low mewling sound.

Luke looked at him, "Wait, I sense... No."

Chewbacca barked again. He put his paws on Luke's shoulders.

" _No_." Luke repeated. He brushed off Chewbacca's grip without apparent effort. He walked down the hill without another word.

"Skywalker!" Rey called after him, "I'm sorry. Really. But you need to talk to me."

Luke kept going.

She ran after him.

They found Luke in one of several stone hovels at the base of the island. They heard a crash from inside. They exchanged glances.

"I don't know him," Rey said. "You talk to him."

Chewbacca barked. He shook his head emphatically.

"You're such a coward." She swatted him affectionately on the arm. 

Rey entered the hovel.

The first thing she noticed was the hole in the wall. It bore the imprint of knuckles. There was rock dust on Luke's mechanical hand.

"Go away," Luke said.

"No." Rey stood in front of him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm no one."

"In fifty odd years traveling the galaxy, I've never met anyone who was no one."

"My name is Rey." she shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm a scavenger."

"I understand why they sent Chewie and Artoo. Why are you here?"

She shrugged again. "I don't know."

"Lie," Luke said. He got up again and walked outside.

Rey ran after him. "Can you stop walking away?" she snapped.

She followed Luke down the stone path. As they approached the jagged face of the mountain, Rey stopped suddenly. She placed a hand on her forehead.

"What... what's happening? I feel..."

Luke stopped. "This place is strong in the Force." He looked at her. "How long?"

"A few days," Rey said. She shook her head. "Skywalker, listen to me. The Resistance needs you."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I came to this planet for a reason. I can't leave now."

"Wait. The First Order found the Resistance base on D'Qar. They might be there already. Skywalker-"

Luke held up a hand absently and she stopped like she'd hit a wall. "Go back to the village. Wait there. I'll be back."

Luke slipped into a passageway carved into the mountain side.

Rey spread her arms in annoyance. She tried walking forward but she stopped dead in the same place she had last time.

Rey trudged back to the village.

Chewie woofed at her.

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Rey said.

She went into Luke's hovel. It seemed like a claustrophobically small domed structure on the outside but there was a lower level built into the ground. Chewie barked at her warningly as she went down the rough hewn steps.

"Don't worry so much. I didn't come all this way not to look around."

The lower floor was warmly lit by glowlamps set in the corners. The first thing she noticed was the desk full of holo-pictures. The first showed Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, the droids and a distinguished man in a cape Rey didn't recognize standing in some kind of tree village, surrounded by small furry bear creatures. It seemed to have been quite the party. Another showed Leia in a med center, cradling a newborn in her arms while Luke and Han stood just to the side. The third was a still of a stunningly beautiful woman with flowing red hair.

On another desk sat a Rebel pilot's helmet. Rey picked it up and compared it to hers. Beside it was a selection of mechanical components -probably spare parts for Luke's hand- a model of a T-16 Skyhopper, and a book. The cover read: _The Journals of Ben Kenobi_.

Rey rifled through every shelving unit and drawer by instinct. She was a scavenger, after all. The fridgi-unit was full of glass containers of milk and little else. She took one out and sniffed it suspiciously. It was concerningly blue. She shrugged and drank it down in a few gulps.

Chewbacca thumped down the stairs.

Rey's breath hitched suddenly. She put a hand on her chest and slumped against the wall.

Chewie rushed over to her and barked.

"It's not me... I didn't feel it before," she said. "It's... you. Aw, Chewie. I'm sorry." she threw her arms around him. "Luke isn't gone. He's right outside."

Chewie barked.

"He's not the same? What do you mean something's not right? He just found out about Han."

Chewie shook his head.

"Something else? What do you mean?"

Bark.

"I don't know either. What should we do?"

Bark.

"I already tried. He's _Luke Skywalker_. He won't talk to me."

Woof.

"We can't wait here forever. What about the Resistance? I don't even know if Finn's okay."

Chewie barked rarred.

"Okay. Okay." Rey let out a breath. "I'll be patient. I know how to do that."

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"Prepare to fire," Hux said. "Wipe that base off the planet."

"Belay that," Kylo Ren said.

"What is it now, Ren?"

"The rebels are gone. The _Conqueror_ never showed up. It must be dead in space somewhere. And we spent most of our remaining power during the battle. If we want to make it out of this system, we're going to need to scavenge that Resistance base for resources."

" _Scavenge_ ," Hux said with an expression of utter revulsion. Both of them turned to Phasma. "I'm sure you have talents in this area, Captain. Given your past."

"I will prepare a landing party," Phasma said impassively. She swept out of the bridge.

"Incoming holocall," a communications officer said. "It's the Supreme Leader."

Ren and Hux exchanged glances.

"Cancel the call," Ren said.

"Yes. Do as he says." Hux agreed.

A massive hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke appeared, so large his head partially disappeared into the ceiling.

Ren turned his head towards the communications officer slowly.

"Executive override," she explained quickly, cringing.

"Kylo Ren," Snoke thundered.

"Well, if I'm not needed here, I'll go oversee the... ah... after battle... operations." Hux said, walking away briskly.

"General Hux," Snoke said.

Hux stopped dead. He turned around slowly.

"Right here, Supreme Leader," he said.

"I told you to return to me, Kylo Ren. I told you it was time to complete your training. Where are you now? And where are my ships?" Snoke said.

Ren and Hux looked at each other.

"We have routed the Resistance at D'Qar, Supreme Leader," Ren said.

"I did not ask for your accomplishments."

"The Resistance would have escaped if we had waited."

"Do you have them, then? Have you gutted Princess Leia as you did your father?"

Kylo Ren didn't answer. Hux looked at him.

"The Resistance escaped," Hux said, stepping forward. "But they were routed. We destroyed several of their battlecruisers and an entire squadron of X-wings. We have claimed their base for the First Order."

"Your pathetic attempts at justification do not misdirect me, Hux. Petty manipulations may have allowed both of you to kill your fathers, but do not believe for a moment I am so easily fooled."

"Supreme Leader-"

"Don't bother. I am coming to you." as Snoke said the words, the _Finalizer_ shook as something massive exited hyperspace. A monolithic ship loomed above the fleet. The Mega-class Star Dreadnought known as the _Supremacy_.

"I'm taking your so called battlegroup aboard. I will decide what to do with the two of you myself." the hologram faded.

**The** **_New Hope_ **

Finn wandered the halls of the _New Hope_.

"Can anyone tell me where I am?" he said. "This is still the Resistance, right?"

"Finn! Buddy!" Poe called as he exited the hangar. "You're awake!"

"Where's Rey? Is she okay?" Finn asked.

"She's fine. She's off to get Luke Skywalker."

"Luke Skywalker? You found him?"

"We sure did. Things are about to change around here, Finn, I can feel it. Once he's back, we can do anything."

"What's going on, anyway? Where are we?"

"This is the _New Hope_. Best ship we have left. We're on the run from the First Order, we're low on supplies and I'm in a hell of a lot of trouble."

"So nothing's changed."

"Not a thing, Finn, not a thing. Come on. The lady in charge wants a word."

Poe led Finn to the bridge.

Leia, Ackbar and a half dozen other Resistance leaders were crowded around the planning table.

"We need to open diplomatic channels to the Republic. Surely after the destruction of Hosnian Prime they'll understand the gravity of the situation. The First Order must be stopped," Leia was saying.

"Impossible, princess," the Lasat general Garazeb Orrelios said. "The First Order has placed signal scramblers in every major hyperlane to the Core. We'll need a lot more power than we have available to get a message through."

"We have other options, Zeb," the Twi'lek general Hera Syndulla said. She input some coordinates into the holoprojector. A planet appeared. "Cantonica. It's a den of iniquity, but we have a few contacts there. We should be able to acquire a signal booster in it's capital city, Canto Bight."

"Good work, Hera," Leia said. "Admiral, can we make it there?"

"If we take a few shortcuts. The old Rebellion shadowlanes should let us shave a few parsecs off the trip," Ackbar said.

Poe cleared his throat.

Leia turned. "Ah. Commander- _Captain_ Dameron," she corrected herself.

Finn glanced at Poe questioningly. He shook his head at Finn.

"And Finn, is it? Just the boys I was looking for. Walk with me. We need to talk."

"Miss- Princess- ma'am," Finn fumbled. "Pleasure to be in your presence," he finally figured out.

"Call me Leia. I've got about as much time for honorifics as I do boot kissing. I hear you picked a fight with my son."

"He started it."

"Did you get some hits in?"

"One or two," Finn said with a pretension of modesty.

"Good," Leia said. "I need information about the First Order."

"I know everything about the First Order, ma'am. Leia!" he corrected himself. 

Finn peered over a technician's shoulder at a computer screen.

"Settle down there. I'm not in the habit of Force choking people who displease me. Though there's been a few times..." she muttered, glancing at Poe. "What did you do in the Order, Finn?"

"I was a big deal," he reported. "Real big. Everyone liked me. Lot of gold stars. Lot of those."

"He was infantry," Poe said. "Did some janitorial work, right?"

"That was told in confidence," Finn hissed. He took a look out the main viewport. "Whoa. This is a big ship."

"Eyes on me, soldier!" Leia barked.

Finn jumped to attention immediately as his stormtrooper training kicked in. He nearly saluted but pulled his arm down at the last second. "I'm paying attention."

"Poe says you were stationed on the _Finalizer_. My son's... Kylo Ren's ship. We just engaged that battlegroup, but they haven't pursued us. We can't figure out why."

"That's easy," Finn said. He didn't say anything else.

"Well?" Leia said.

"I'm... uh... still thinking."

Leia rolled her eyes at Poe.

"Gas!" Finn exclaimed.

Leia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Fuel. We used Starkiller Base as a waystation to refuel between here and First Order space. With it gone..."

"They're stuck," Leia realized. "That's why their battlegroup was so small. Some of them must not have made it. That was important, Finn, thank you." she went back to the meeting table. "I want an A-wing scouting party sent back along our flight path. The First Order is vulnerable. If we're right, this could be a chance we'll never get again. Dameron..." Leia trailed off, "I'm sorry. You're staying here. Inform the new Black Leader to head up the party."

"Is that Tallie? She deserves it."

"Not quite. You're reporting to Wedge Antilles now."

"General Antilles hasn't flown a combat mission in years, ma'am. I think Tallie is more qualified-"

"This isn't a committee, Dameron. I have another job for you anyway. I'm not letting our best pilot sit on his hands. Finn, can you fly an X-wing?"

"I've never flown a ship in my life," Finn said with supreme confidence.

"That's what I thought. Poe, take Finn to the rendezvous coordinates we gave to Rey. There's no way we're making it there. Bring them home. We also might need you to stop at Canto Bight if the fleet can't make it."

"Ma'am, I think I should be in a fighter..."

"Don't question me on this. If we had manpower to spare you'd be in the brig. Get to work, both of you."

"Come on, Poe," Finn said. He fairly had to drag Poe from the bridge.

"What's going on? You got demoted?" Finn asked.

"Long story," Poe said. "Let's get a move on, Finn. We have a Resistance to save."

"Yeah. Right. Save the Resistance. I'm all for that." Finn said.

"You're just here for her, aren't you?"

"Totally."

**The** **_Supremacy_ **

The _Finalizer_ entered the hanger. The _Supremacy_ was so massive its hangar bays could house Star Destroyers. Eight of them, in fact.

One of Snoke's scarlet armored Praetorian guards was waiting for Kylo Ren at the foot of the ramp.

"Good luck," Phasma said quietly as Ren left.

"I don't require an escort," Ren said, brushing past the guard.

He entered a lift tube that whisked him through the ship. It was sixty kilometers long and held a crew complement of over two million.

Ren entered the Supreme Leader's throne room. He heard the music before the door fully opened. Some classical music from the Imperial era. The Modal Nodes or something like that.

Ren instantly regretted taking off his helmet as a cloud of incense and spice rolled over him. He waved it away and walked in.

Scantily clad females from a dozen desirable species were arranged around the room like decorations.

"Take another," Snoke was saying to the Zeltron woman curled up beside him on his throne. He handed a Death stick to her. "I do so love watching you squirm."

She took it from him without hesitation.

"What is this?" Ren said. He didn't bother stepping over any of the women laid out unconscious on the floor. They didn't even stir when he stepped on them.

"Ah. Kylo Ren. The prodigal failure." Snoke leaned forward in his seat. The Zeltron was thrown off as his massive frame shifted. He wasn't quite as large as his holoprojection, but he was still twice the height of most beings. "Get up," he added to the woman. She scrambled back onto the throne. Snoke produced another Death Stick from his informal golden robe, spun with actual gold as it happened. "Care to partake, Kylo? I don't touch the things myself, but I hear they can make you forget all your troubles. Isn't that right, dear?"

The Zeltron stared at nothing, eyes glazed. Snoke moved his finger back and forth and her head jerked into a nod like a marionette. "See? Happy as can be."

"I'll pass," Ren said. "I ask again." He gestured broadly at the room.

"What's the point of power if one isn't enjoying himself? What do you expect me to do, sit in a dimly lit, sterile room with only the company of my guards? Where's the fun in that? Having everything and not enjoying it... well, that would make me a Jedi, wouldn't it?"

"You're no Jedi," Ren muttered.

"Neither are you. But I'm letting my good mood betray me. I will be the one asking the questions here. You've disobeyed me, Kylo Ren."

"I had little choice. If we hadn't hit the Resistance when we had the chance-"

"You were defeated by a girl who has _never held a lightsaber!_ " Snoke shouted. "When I found you, I saw raw, untamed power. I thought you were something truly special. But if any girl with a lightsaber can beat you, well," Snoke lifted the Zeltron's lolling head by the hair, "Would you like to be my new apprentice, dear?"

"There were extenuating circumstances." Kylo said. "I was wounded-"

"Save the excuses for your weak kneed father. Oh. Wait." Snoke banged a massive knuckle on his head in a simulacra of self deprecation. "Silly me, I forgot. You can't. Tell me, Kylo, was there anything else that might have happened that day? Something that might have compromised your abilities? Something that might have made you weak?"

"I am not weak!" Kylo snapped.

"That scar says otherwise," Snoke gestured at Ren's cheek. "I'd recommend keeping that. You should remember all your failures."

"The next time we meet, it will end differently," Kylo said.

"What makes you think you will ever meet her again? What makes you think you're going to leave this room alive?"

"Don't threaten me, Snoke," Kylo said.

"Excuse me?" Snoke rose slightly from his chair. "Who do you think you're speaking to?"

"Not Palpatine, that's who. You need me. You don't have the power to face Skywalker alone."

"You know nothing of real power, Kylo. Perhaps I should offer you a demonstration." Snoke raised his hand.

Kylo's hand went to his lightsaber.

"What are you doing, Kylo? Accept the punishment for your failure."

"I accept nothing," Kylo said, "Do you really want to fight me now?"

Snoke lowered his hand, "You're right. Sometimes I forget how wise you've become. Violence is a slow and fickle teacher. But memories. Oh, memories. Why do we need the power to destroy planets when we have memories. Shall we go back, Kylo? To that day? Oh, that day. By the river under the hanging lilies. The sunlight came down like honey on our skin. And the smell. Remember how the petals in the water smelled? Like home and somewhere far away at the same time."

Kylo shook his head rapidly. "Enough."

"The water whispered secrets in our ears like a childhood friend. And we laughed, didn't we? Oh, how we laughed. I thought there would be no more laughter in all the galaxy. Surely we had stolen it all."

"Stop it!" Kylo held his hands over his ears.

Snoke laughed. He waved at his women and they joined in.

Snoke snapped his fingers. The laughter stopped.

"Remember this pain, Kylo. Feel it. Live in it. And next time, you'll beg for the lightning."

Kylo slowly lowered his hands from his ears.

"The Resistance fleet-"

"The Resistance! Always the Resistance. Listen to me, Kylo. I'll tell you a secret. _I don't care about the Resistance!_ They are a ragtag band of morally inflated lackwits with no power and no army. The Republic is our enemy. _Skywalker_ is our enemy."

"Wrong," Kylo said.

"What was that?"

"That is... tactically unsound."

"Explain."

"The Republic is weak after the destruction of their capital by Starkiller Base. They are scattered and scrambling for leadership. They are not an immediate threat. The Resistance, however, has been hounding us for years. They destroyed Starkiller Base. And we are not the Empire. We have limited resources. We must remove the thorn from our foot before we can climb the mountain."

Snoke nodded. "You are wise, Kylo Ren. What do you suggest?"

"We refuel, rearm and take the fight to them. Crush them to the dirt with all of our might. Only then can we be free of them forever."

"And the Republic?"

"They fear us now. I have a simple plan for them. We negotiate."

Snoke spat out a laugh, "I wanted the grandson of Darth Vader, not the son of Leia Organa."

"I am what I am. I can do this. I can destroy the Resistance and make the Republic give themselves to you."

Snoke considered, "You may try. But if you fail..."

"I won't." Kylo said, "And then I get what I want."

"We all do," Snoke said. "And I sense the Resistance will deliver themselves to us sooner than we think."

"You are wise as well," Kylo said.

"Begone," Snoke said, "I have business to attend to,"

"I'm sure you do," Kylo muttered. He snagged a goblet from one of Snoke's women as he walked out. He paused to look the Twi'lek up and down, "Are you free later?" he winked at her, "You're under no obligation but... I'm sure you know where my quarters are." Kylo left.

"Too much of his father in him," Snoke muttered. He gave the Zeltron a push on the small of her back and she slid bonelessly to the floor. "You," Snoke said to the first woman to catch his eye. "You're promoted."

Kylo stopped a few halls down. He dropped the goblet. He leaned his forehead against the wall.

 _Ben,_ the whisper said. _Ben? Are you okay?_

"Go away!" Kylo shouted. "I'm not listening to you!" he put his helmet on. He stalked away.

In the shadows at the far end of the hall, a figure in a hooded brown robe lurked. It's hooded head scanned the hall quickly.

Then the figure darted away.


	4. the Legend of Luke Skywalker

**Ahch-To**

Rey sat with her back resting against Chewbacca's shoulder. She flipped a page in Ben Kenobi's journal.

"Put that down," Luke stood in the doorway. He gestured and the book slammed shut.

"I was just getting to the good bit," Rey said. "Is the boy in the story really you?"

Luke's eyes rested briefly on everything in the room she'd touched. He put his pilot helmet back where it had been before she'd picked it up.

"Not anymore," Luke said.

Chewbacca barked at him.

"I'm sorry, Chewie," Luke said. He went back up the stairs.

Chewbacca nudged Rey heavily.

"I'm going," she said.

She ran after Luke.

Luke swept out of the village. Several, small, hooded figures were working on the hovels, cleaning them, patching holes and generally maintaining everything. One of them gurgled at Rey in an unfriendly sort of way. Rey gave it a small wave and kept after Luke.

Dusk was rolling in over the sea.

Luke came to a moisture vaporator perched on the cliff side. He filled the jug beside it with dispensed water.

Rey watched him work intently.

"What are you staring at?" Luke said.

"You. You're Luke Skywalker."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"I grew up hearing stories about you. But I never thought you were real. You're the man who blew up the Death Star. Twice."

"Once. I just happened to be standing in it the second time."

"That's not what I heard. But still. I don't understand. The galaxy needs you."

"No it doesn't."

"That's not true-"

"The real question is, Rey, what do _you_ want from me?"

Luke picked up the full jug and kept walking.

"Help fighting the First Order."

"No," Luke said. "That's not it."

Rey followed him onto a flat area lushly covered in grass. She paused, bending down and burying her fingers in the grass. She tore up a handful and brought it to her nose. A smile spread across her face as she smelled it.

"What planet are you from?" Luke was watching her closely.

"Jakku."

"The world where the Empire died. Did you see the battle?"

"I wasn't born yet."

"Of course," Luke ran a hand through his beard absently. "Sometimes I forget."

"I made a living off the leftovers, though," Rey said. "The Rebellion was saving me even then."

Luke stood on an outcropping. He picked up an antique rifle resting next to the rock.

"Why do you want to go back to that wasteland so badly?" Luke said.

"I don't..."

Luke looked at her knowingly out of the corner of his eye.

"I... I'm waiting for my family to come for me."

Luke was silent. He looked down the sights of the rifle.

"They _will_ come. I know it. I can feel it."

Luke looked away from the scope. "I wasn't arguing." he fired while still looking at her. Rey jumped as the shot echoed off the cliffs.

Luke went down the hillside. He picked up a large, rat-like creature by the scruff of the neck. He'd bull's-eyed it.

"Why are you here then?"

"The Resistance came to save me. Han did. I owe them. After this I'm going home. I have a responsibility to my family. But..."

Luke walked back towards the village. "But?"

"You already know." Rey said.

"I won't do it, Rey."

She ran in front of him. "Master Skywalker. Please." she looked at the ground. "Help me. I can't control it."

Luke looked at her. He closed his eyes tightly. "Stang," he muttered. "I can never say no, can I?"

"Do you mean it? Will you teach me?"

"Tomorrow. Dawn," Luke said. 

He walked past her without another word.

Rey and Chewbacca picked at the pieces of roasted rat creature Luke had left them.

Chewbacca growled and pointed at a murder of rotund bird-creatures near the seaside.

"You're right, Chewie. Those do look like they taste better." Rey said.

Rey retired to a hovel as night fell. The Caretakers had left her a blanket and nothing else. She suspected they didn't like her.

Of more immediate concern than the lack of bedding was Kylo Ren. He was standing in her hovel.

Rey whipped out her NN-14 blaster. Her other hand went for her lightsaber.

Kylo's lightsaber flipped into his hand with a tug of the Force.

"How?" Kylo spat. "How can you be here?"

"Stay back," Rey said. She struggled to banish the tremble in her voice. "How did you find us?"

"How did _I_ find _you..._? Wait," Kylo said. "Where are you?"

"Have you lost your mind? Scratch that, I already know." Rey's finger tightened on the blaster's trigger.

"I'm in my quarters," Kylo said. "On a Star Destroyer."

"No. You're standing right here."

"Where is here?" Kylo said.

Rey shot him. Kylo didn't bother blocking. The bolt went right through him, hitting the wall.

"Oh," Rey said.

"Oh, indeed."

"How are you doing this?"

"This wasn't me, you idiot. Why would I be contacting _you_ , of all people?"

"I'd say to gloat, but judging by the state I left you in, you don't have much to gloat about."

"Chewie- _the wookiee_ was the one who injured me, not you. You just picked up the scraps. But I suppose that's what you do, isn't it? Scavenger."

"Was that supposed to be an insult? You're a psychopath. You hurt my friend. If you were actually here I'd shove this lightsaber right up your-"

"Shut up," Kylo said, placing a hand to his temple. "Wherever you are is strong with the Force. Bursting with it. You found him, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'll find him eventually, Rey. If you tell me now, I'll consider letting you live."

"Really?"

"Actually, no. You're dead either way. And when I find whatever Jedi ruin Skywalker's hermited himself in, I'm going to burn it to the ground, and him along with it. I think it will be a fitting end for two relics of a bygone era." Kylo was silent after that.

"Are you trying to leave?" Rey said.

"Yes," Kylo grumbled. He vanished a moment before Chewie poked his head through the door.

"It was nothing," Rey said. "Blaster malfunction."

Chewie barked.

"What? No, the Force isn't making me go crazy." Rey paused. "It can't do that, right?"

Chewbacca huffed with amusement.

"Chewie, answer me. That wasn't funny."

When Rey woke the next morning, she found Luke waiting outside.

He nodded at two enormous containers of water at his feet. He pointed up the long, winding set of steps carved into the cliffside.

Rey rubbed sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hands.

"I can try," she extended her hand towards the containers.

"No," Luke said, rapping her on the knuckles with his metal hand.

"Ow!" she snapped, "You didn't even give me a chance."

"I didn't say use the Force," Luke said. He began walking up the stairs. "Hurry up. There's more where that came from."

Rey looked at the containers. She looked up the stairs. She sighed.

Luke sat cross legged at the top of the steps, sipping a glass of blue milk.

Rey huffed as she set the container down.

"I've been hauling metal through the desert my entire life. Why am I doing this?"

Luke pointed back down the steps. The Caretakers had left another three containers.

"Damn," Rey muttered.

"Language," Luke said severely.

Rey winced. "Sorry." She went back down.

Rey slumped against the last container, breathing heavily. She cracked it open to get a drink.

"No," Luke said. He finished off his glass of milk.

Rey gritted her teeth.

"Sit," Luke said, pointing at a rock beside his.

"When do I learn to use the Force?" Rey panted.

"You are," Luke said. "The first step to controlling the Force is ordering your mind. The first step to ordering your mind is controlling your body. And with the Force you can control your body. It's a cycle."

"What?" Rey said.

"Let's make it simple." Luke pointed at the water. "Do you want that?"

"Yes," Rey said.

"Then get a drink."

Rey moved to stand.

"From where you are," Luke said.

Rey sat back down. She held out her hand towards the water. She closed her eyes tightly.

"Not like that," Luke said.

"I don't understand."

"Imagine you're drinking the water. Feel it refresh you. Feel your skin cool. Feel all the dust and pain being washed away."

Rey closed her eyes again.

"Do you feel it?" Luke said quietly.

Rey's breathing began to slow. "I do." she said.

"That's the Force," Luke said.

Rey opened her eyes. "Now what?"

Luke stood up. "That's it."

Rey was struck speechless for a moment. "What do you mean, that's it? I didn't come all the way here for _that_."

"What did you come for?"

"To learn. From you."

"Why me?"

"Because... you're Luke Skywalker. Who else?"

"Now you're beginning to see," Luke said. "Come with me."

He led her through the crack in the cliff side. It widened out into a passageway cut into the rock. And from there it led into the Jedi temple.

"Some say this is the first Jedi temple," Luke said. "Others contest it's on Tython, or Ossus. But the specifics don't matter."

The interior was roughly cut, the ceiling high. The walls were lined with dusty shelves. Most were empty. A shallow pool of water sat in the center. A mosaic rested at its bottom. It depicted a being, clothed as a Jedi, sitting between swirls of light and darkness. To one end the space opened up into a cliff overlooking the sea.

"Once there were Jedi temples across the galaxy. Do you know what all those temples have in common, Rey?"

"What?"

"They are all empty save old texts and old ghosts. The Jedi's fire has gone out of the galaxy. All the knowledge they hoarded over a thousand generations is gone, destroyed by Darth Sidious. What scraps that remain are just words. They can't make anyone a Jedi."

"I don't understand what you're trying to teach me."

"I'm not trying to _teach you!_ " Luke snapped. He closed his eyes briefly. "I can't teach you, Rey," he said more gently. "Because I don't know how."

Rey's brow furrowed. "But... You're-"

"Luke Skywalker. I got it the first time. That's the whole problem. Everyone thinks I'm the hero who saved the galaxy."

"You did. You defeated Vader and the Emperor."

"No. My father, Anakin Skywalker, killed them both. I did nothing. I was helpless. There is no Luke Skywalker, Rey. I'm sorry. I'm just a farm boy from Tatooine. And now I'm where I belong."

Rey blinked. She lowered her head. "I don't believe that."

"Believe it. You should never meet your heroes. Because heroes don't exist. Not anymore. They all died a long time ago."

"I've seen what you can do with the Force. I don't know how to do any of that."

"Do you know how I learned all my great and mighty powers? By trying and failing. I could have learned from the last Jedi in the galaxy, but I was so blinded by petty distractions I wasted the opportunity. They gave their lives for me, and I learned nothing but parlor tricks in my time with them."

"But Han said you did train people. You trained Kylo Ren."

"Exactly," Luke said. "I'm not making that mistake again."

"I'm not like him. I don't want to rule the galaxy. I'm not a bad person."

"No one is," Luke said. "At first." he turned away from her. He walked over to a stone desk covered in faded texts.

"Master Skywalker, please. Why won't you help me?"

Luke threw up his hands. "What do you want to know? How to move rocks with your mind? How to crush a man's throat by moving your fingers? What possible use for the Force could you have?"

"I want to make it stop!" she shouted.

Luke turned to her slowly. "What?"

"I feel it all the time," she said quietly. "What other people are feeling. I feel it... and it's always sad. I want it to stop."

"Using the Force requires effort," Luke said. "Concentration, depth of feeling."

"It isn't like that for me. It just happens. When I fought Ren... I don't even remember it. I closed my eyes and something else took me over. I could have killed him and I wouldn't even have known what I was doing. It scares me."

"What does it feel like?"

"Like... there's a sea inside me. Dark waters." she closed her eyes. "It's lapping at my feet all the time. It wants to drag me down. I'm trying to stay afloat, but I don't know how. If I fall in, I don't know what I'll do. I don't know what it will make me do. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"That isn't how the Force works, Rey," Luke said. "It can't make you do anything. It's driven by intent."

"You don't understand," Rey said, "No one understands."

"Amazing," Luke murmured. "Is this really how I sounded to them?" he put his hand on Rey's shoulder. He led her to the cliff and sat her down on a rock.

"Everyone perceives the Force differently. I see it as shifting sands. Go figure. But don't mistake everything you feel for reality. That thing inside you that you think you can't control, that's the dark side. It will tempt you all the time, but it isn't real. It isn't alive. It can't make you do anything you don't choose to do."

"I don't know," Rey said. "Everyone says the Force has a will. Can't it make people do things? And it saved me, whatever it was. If I hadn't let it take over, Kylo would have killed me. You weren't trained when you fought Vader. If you didn't use the Dark Side, or whatever that thing is, how did you beat him?"

Luke looked away.

"Rey," he said after a time. "Listen to me carefully. I have something to tell you."

"What?" she leaned forward raptly.

Luke took a deep breath. He leaned close. "I don't know. Any of it. I can't help you. I can't help myself."

Rey's face fell. She leaned her head into her hands.

"I'm sorry," Luke said again.

"Then don't," Rey said through her fingers. "This isn't about me. The galaxy needs you."

"I told you-"

"You have to try, don't you? You said it, there's no one else. It's up to you."

"I can't be the galaxy's last hope, Rey. Not again." Luke went back inside.

Rey followed him. "I don't understand how you can sit here and do nothing. You're supposed to be a hero. You have a responsibility."

"What do you want me to do? Fight the First Order?"

"Yes."

"Kill every stormtrooper they have?"

"Yes."

"Shoot down all their fighters?"

"Yes."

"Stride into the Supreme Leader's throne room and strike down him and Kylo Ren in a display of power the likes of which the galaxy has never before seen?"

"Yes!" Rey said. "Exactly that."

"And then what?"

"Then we win. Then it's over."

"It's never over. A thousand years ago the Jedi destroyed the Sith. Fifty years ago the Sith wiped the Jedi out. Thirty years ago the Jedi destroyed the Sith again. And a very short time ago all my students were slaughtered by Kylo Ren. All of this has happened before, and it will happen again. I spent my entire life trying to make the galaxy a better place, and now all I see are the same events all over again. The same story wearing different clothes. I'm done fighting battles that I can't win."

"You gave up," Rey breathed. "Luke Skywalker gave up."

"No." Luke said. "I'm fighting a different war now. I didn't come to this world for the scenery."

"Why?" Rey said. "Why are you here?"

"Why do you think? I'm trying to find out how to win."

"Are you going to tell me what that means?"

Luke smiled slightly. "No."

"Listen, Skywalker, I'm still going to try." Rey took the lightsaber off her belt. "Can you at least show me how to use this thing?"

"That I can do," Luke said. "And Rey." He pointed down the shadowed hallway at the other end of the chamber. A massive door carved from some kind of black stone was dimly visible, "Never go through that door."

"What is it?" Rey asked.

"Just don't. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright," Luke said, "Come with me. Let's see what you can do."

  
**The** **_New Hope_ **

"What do you mean, Leia said to keep an eye on him?" Poe asked BB-8 as they walked down the bustling halls of the ship. Finn was up ahead, looking at things enthusiastically.

BB-8 beeped.

"Yeah, he told everyone he was in the Resistance. So what? We're the good guys."

_Beep_

"Okay, he stabbed the First Order in the back. Again, we're the good guys. He's not one of them anymore, trust me."

BB-8 made a skeptical whistle.

"Why is Leia giving orders through you, anyway? Next thing you know, we'll have droids running the whole fleet."

_Warble_

"No it wouldn't. Listen, Finn's on our side. He couldn't go back if he wanted to. Trust me." Poe ran to catch up to Finn. "Wait up, buddy."

"Our scouts have sighted the First Order Fleet," Ackbar said from the bridge. "They appear to be dead in space."

"What do you think?" Leia said.

"This may be the best chance we'll ever get."

"Agreed. Give the order."

"All hands," Ackbar said over the ship's comms. "Prepare for battle."

**Ahch-To**

The grass blew in the wind off the sea, and the lightsaber blazed in Rey's hands. Far below, the outline of an X-wing was visible beneath the waters by the cliff.

"It's not a club," Luke said from where he sat cross-legged in the grass. "It's not even a weapon. It should be an extension of your own body. Feel the blade through the Force, and feel the Force through the blade. And make your body the conduit that connects them."

Rey swung the lightsaber. "That all sounds great, Master Skywalker. But I'd rather know how to swing this thing without cutting my own arm off. It doesn't have any weight. How am I supposed to balance it?"

"I could tell you about stances and forms and grip styles. Soresu and Djem So and Vaapad. The marks of contact and Jar Kai and Trakata. All the grand follies of the old Jedi."

"Then why don't you?" Rey snapped. "You taught _him_ , didn't you? How am I supposed to fight him if I don't-"

Luke held up a hand and Rey closed her mouth.

"I thought you were going back to Jakku," Luke said.

"I... I don't know where I'm supposed to go," she murmured.

"But we're not talking about fate, we're talking about lightsabers," Luke said. "I think slavish devotion to forms of combat can blind a Jedi to their true purpose. The Force isn't made of rules and techniques. Let the Force guide your blade, and you will put it where it needs to go."

"I don't want the Force to fight for me," Rey said.

"It won't. It doesn't command you, you command it."

"I guess," Rey said, uncertain. "All you're teaching me is how _not_ to teach someone."

"Now you're getting it," Luke said, smiling suddenly.

Rey rolled her eyes. "You know how to do all those techniques you say I shouldn't use, right?"

"I do." Luke said.

"Then show me something. _Anything_. Please."

He sighed. "Fine. Tempo." he tapped his ear. "Hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Anything you want. Pick something."

"The waves," Rey said.

"Good. Now listen. Don't just hear it. Feel it. Deep in the soles of your boots."

Rey closed her eyes. "Okay."

"Now let it take you. And put the blade where it needs to go."

Rey swung the lightsaber a few times experimentally. She narrowed her swings to match each crash on the rocks below. She kept swinging, each azure blur tighter than before, until she was moving her blade in precise time to the waves on the rocks. She smiled as she opened her eyes. The sun had moved across the horizon slightly. She had no idea how much time had passed. Luke hadn't moved.

"Now what?" Rey said.

"You tell me," Luke said.

Rey listened, eyes closed again. "The wind." she said.

"Go ahead."

Rey rotated the blade with turns of her wrist as she worked out the fickle gusts of wind.

"You can't hear it until it's already passed you by. You can't catch it if you try," Luke said, his voice as light as the breeze. "Feel it. Let the wind guide your hand."

Rey's feet moved in the grass as she felt out the patterns in the air. The lightsaber twitched hesitantly in her grip. She twisted and turned as the wind flowed around her.

When the next gust came in off the sea she started swinging. The lightsaber flickered around her as she spun it to match the wind swirling through the grass.

Luke winced as she nearly stabbed herself in the leg. Rey didn't notice. She was caught up in the dance, eyes closed tight. Bits of grass, cut by the blades buzzing path, filled the air around her. The pattern of the slashes began to change. Not the swirl of the wind but something hard and jagged. Each swing not meant to play with the wind but to kill something only Rey could see.

"Rey," Luke said.

She didn't stop.

"Rey!" Luke snapped.

She slashed the lightsaber through a jagged rock, cutting it cleanly in two. A shout escaped her as she did. Rey opened her eyes slowly.

"I felt it," she breathed. "The Force."

"That was the Dark Side, Rey," Luke said.

She shook her head dismissively. "No. It felt good. It was helping me."

"Yes. Yes, exactly."

"But that's what the Force always feels like," she said, looking confused.

Luke bowed his head. He steepled his fingers. "We should stop for now."

"Why? This is working. I'm learning."

"You're tired," Luke said.

"I can take care of that. You showed me." Rey closed her eyes and her breathing began to slow.

"You can only replenish yourself for so long. Once you stop feeding on the Force, it will start feeding on you."

"What happens then?"

"Nothing good." Luke said. "We're moving too fast anyways. There's only one skill you will be able to use no matter where you go. How to deflect a blaster bolt." he thought for a moment. "I don't have any training droids, or blasters with stun settings."

"I can rig something," Rey said, "I saw parts back at the village." she made for the village, "Come _on_ , Master Skywalker."

Luke looked at the sundered pieces of stone she had left on the ground. He followed her. Slowly.

Chewbacca and Artoo sat on the _Millennium Falcon's_ lowered ramp. They watched as Rey and Luke made their way into the hovel. Chewie patted Artoo on the dome.

Rey fitted the power cell from her blaster into the casing of an old power converter. She bit her lip and furrowed her brow.

"Try routing the power through the transceiver," Luke said absently from behind her. "It might lower the intensity of the blast."

Rey looked over at him, surprised. She worked at it for another minute. She looked at Luke again.

"Do you want to try?" she offered her tools to him.

He looked at them with the same hesitance he had the lightsaber. He took them after a moment. He sat down on the bench beside Rey.

"If we add the repulsors from my Skyhopper model we should be able to get it to fly," Luke said.

"Isn't that too much power? Won't it explode?"

"It's old. It can take it."

"You'd know."

Luke elbowed her. "Watch it, young lady. I'm the man who blew up the Death Star, y'know. Twice."

She giggled. "Give me that." she took one of the tools from him. "You're doing it wrong."

The sun dipped into the sea as they worked.

"The first lesson of activating a lightsaber is this," Luke said.

The newly built training drone hovered in the still evening air. Rey stood in front of it, lightsaber in hand. She looked at Luke raptly.

"Don't," Luke finished.

Rey sighed to herself.

"As soon as you activate that blade, you make yourself the biggest and only target in the battle. Armies, tanks, even capital ships, won't matter. Everyone will throw everything they can at you, because they fear you. That fear is the only lasting legacy the Jedi left on the galaxy. They all remember the blade. If you have to activate it, you've already failed."

"So I'm wasting my time," Rey said heavily.

"I wasn't finished," Luke said imperturbably. "Lesson two. As a very wise man once taught me, ancient weapons are no match for a blaster. _You_ , however, are more powerful than any weapon. In your hands, that lightsaber can do anything you will it to. It can burn through a mountain or move to defend you before you even know you are in danger. It's not a sword. It's a shield. Ready to try?"

"Yes," Rey said. She activated the lightsaber and held it before her.

The drone fired.

"Ow!" Rey shouted, hand clamped to the wound on her arm. "I thought it was supposed to defend me before I even knew I was in danger."

"Lesson three," Luke said solemnly. "You will grow to hate this drone more than any other enemy you will ever face. Now, again. And try closing your eyes."

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

The Twi'lek woman, His'ako, slipped into Kylo Ren's quarters. Discreetly, of course. He stood at the viewport, looking out at the stars.

"You wanted me?" she said. She kept her eyes on the floor.

"About time," Kylo said. He tossed a robe to her. "Put some clothes on. You can have the bed. I won't be using it."

"My lord?"

"Don't call me that. Stay out of sight. As soon as we pass an inhabited world, I will see that you're dropped off. He won't notice you've gone. Trust me."

"Th-thank you," she whispered, still not quite believing it.

"I don't understand," Rey said.

Kylo rushed into the other room and closed the door.

"What are you doing here?" he spat.

"Believe me, I didn't choose it." Rey said. "Why did you do that? That was kind. I don't understand."

"You think I'm a monster."

"I know you are."

"I didn't say you were wrong." Kylo noted the welts on her arms. "Deflection training. He's teaching you."

She shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."

"He can't teach you. Not like I can. Trust me."

"Why would I want training from someone I just beat into the ground? Why do you even care? I thought you wanted to kill me."

Kylo looked away. "You don't get it."

"No I don't. What's wrong with you? Your parents are Han Solo and Princess Leia. Luke Skywalker is your uncle. You had a family. You had people who loved you. You had everything... everything I ever wanted..."

"Are you saying you're better than me?"

"I'm saying its not _fair_! You had everything and you just threw it away. I hate you."

"They would disappoint you, you know," Kylo said. "If they were yours. He has already, hasn't he? He isn't what you thought he'd be."

"That... that isn't true."

"If he hasn't yet, he will. It's what Luke Skywalker does."

"Whatever he's like now, it's your fault."

" _Mine?_ You really don't know, do you? What he did to me."

"I know enough. He told me you killed his students."

"That was after, Rey. That was a reaction."

"You're talking nonsense." Rey put a hand to her head. "Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

" _Feeling_. I don't want it. Not from you."

"You can feel what I'm feeling?"

"I can feel what everyone's feeling," she said. "Why are you so sad? Did Han and Leia not give you enough presents? Did Luke give you a failing grade on a test? _What's wrong with you?_ "

"He killed her!" Kylo shouted.

Rey took a stumbling step back, hand pressed to her chest now. "W-who?" she gasped. A tear forced its way down her cheek. "Stop it. I don't want to cry your tears."

"I'm not crying," he snapped. He turned away from her. "Go away."

Rey wiped her eyes. "I don't know how. Kylo... talk to me. Tell me what happened."

"I said go away!" he thrust his hand at her.

Rey found herself back in the hovel, slamming hard against the wall. She shook her head.

Back on the _Finalizer_ , the Twi'lek huddled in the bed as Kylo's lightsaber buzzed in the other room.


	5. Supremacy

**The** **_New Hope_ **

“I wish I was going with you, General,” Poe said to Wedge Antilles.

“Believe it or not, Captain, the Resistance can function without you,” Wedge said.

“I know, I was just saying… Keep my boys safe out there, general.”

“I will. Now that we’re down to one…” Wedge cut himself off. “Now that we’ve consolidated squadrons, I’m thinking we need to come up with a new squadron name. What do you think of Rogue Squadron?”

“Really? There hasn’t been a squadron called that in a long time.”

“Not since we got shut down. Turns out people didn’t like reminders of the war. Wonder what those people are saying now, eh?”

“I think it’s a hell of an idea, sir. If being in Rogue Squadron doesn’t inspire the boys, I don’t know what will. Just wish I was a part of it.”

“You’re bringing back Luke, Poe. That’s the most important job there is.”

“You flew with him, right? Is he as good as they say he was?”

“Not even close,”

Poe let out a little breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, “Guess the Force doesn’t make you better at everything.”

“I’m saying he was better,” Wedge finished.

“Oh,” Poe said. “I’ll leave you to get ready.”

“Bring him back in one piece, Poe. We need him now more than ever,” Wedge said after him.

“Yes, sir.”

“Hey, Poe,” Tallie called from where she was sitting on the edge of her A-wing.

“Be careful out there, Tallie. Those A-wings are held together with synthsilk and dreams. Wouldn’t catch me dead in one.”

The Nautolan waved him off with a green skinned hand. “Get out of here. Us real pilots have work to do.”

Poe found Finn surrounded by a crowd of Resistance soldiers and pilots. They were all listening raptly.

“... And the last thing I saw before it all went dark was Kylo Ren’s severed hand hitting the snowy ground. I was bleeding out in the snow, but all I could think of as I lay there was that I’d done my duty to the people,” Finn said, gesturing grandly.

One soldier wiped a tear from her eye. Several clapped. One man shook Finn’s hand vigorously while another patted him hard on the back.

“Thanks, guys,” Finn said, bowing his head modestly. “But I just did what I thought was right. Any of you would have done the same.”

“Yeah, right. Hey, Poe,” One of the soldiers called. “This guy took on _Kylo Ren_ in a laser sword fight and cut his hand off. Bravest thing I've ever heard in my life. Saved the girl too. Damn romantic, if you ask me.”

“Come on, Finn,” Poe said, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away. “We’ve got work to do.”

“I’m off to get Luke Skywalker,” Finn said to his audience. “But I guess someone has to do it, y’know?”

Several men saluted him, clearly overcome.

“The Resistance is great,” Finn whispered to Poe as they walked away. “They all love me here. Who knew, right?”

“I must have missed the part where you single-handedly blew up Starkiller Base.”

“Well, you came in late.” Finn looked around the hangar. “I can’t believe you guys are going back. We just got away from the First Order.”

“We aren’t going to have a chance like this again. Every ship we take out is one they don’t get back.”

“Just remember there’s a guy like me in all of those ships.”

Poe looked at him curiously. Before he could say anything, alarms began blaring around the ship.

“All pilots, get to your fighters!” Wedge shouted. “We’ve made contact!”

The _Finalizer,_ the _Harbinger_ and the _Fulminatrix_ sat dead in space as the Resistance fleet approached.

“Ready forward turbolasers,” Ackbar said from the _New Hope_ ’s bridge. “General Hux and,” he glanced sidelong at Leia, “Kylo Ren in one engagement. This could be where we end the war.”

Leia stood at the viewport, watching as the X-wings and A-wings left the hangar. She rested her head against the transparisteel.

“I don’t know if it will ever be over,” she murmured.

Kylo Ren leaned his head against the viewport.

The door hissed open as Phasma walked in. Her helmeted head turned slowly, taking in the Twi’lek under the sheets and the furniture hacked to pieces by Ren’s lightsaber.  
“The Resistance has arrived,” she said.

“I know,” Kylo said. He fitted his helmet over his head.

“Don’t look at me, filth,” Phasma said to the Twi’lek as they left.

“The enemy is closing,” an officer said on the _Finalizer_ ’s darkened bridge.

“Wait,” Hux said. “Not yet.”

Poe and Finn watched from the hangar as Rogue Squadron screamed through the gulf of space between the two fleets.

“Reaching firing range in five,” the Resistance officer said on the bridge. “Four, three...”

From the depths of space behind the Resistance fleet, the _Supremacy_ dropped from hyperspace. It opened fire.

“Now!” Hux said.

The Star Destroyers lit up, fully powered. TIE fighters began deploying from their replenished hangars.

Hails of emerald turbolaser fire fell from the _Supremacy's_ banks of Repeating cannons. A Nebulon-C frigate’s shields rippled, flashed and gave out in the same second. In the next it blew apart, scattering debris and fire into space.

Shouts from the _New Hope_ ’s bridge.

“We’ve lost the _Anodyne_!”

“What is that thing?”

“We’re taking heavy fire!”

“Bring us about!” Ackbar barked over the noise. “Divert all power to shields! I want us between that warship and the fleet.”

The _New Hope_ ’s shields rippled under sustained impacts from the _Supremacy_ ’s guns.

The deck rattled and rumbled as the _New Hope_ ’s own batteries of cannons returned fire.

Space filled up with a storm of turbolaser fire; emerald coming from the First Order ships on either side, red from the Resistance fleet stuck in the middle. Another Resistance ship listed, leaking flames from the holes in its hull.

“Princess, we don’t have the firepower to destroy a ship of that size,” Ackbar said, “We need to get out of here at once. Princess?”

Leia kept her forehead pressed to the viewport. She squeezed her eyes shut.

**The** **_Finalizer_**

Kylo Ren shook his head violently as he entered the hangar. Phasma tilted her helmeted head.

“Are you well?” she said.

“Fine,” Ren grunted. He jumped into his custom made TIE Vendetta. It shot into space on the heels of the other TIEs.

“What do we do, Rogue Leader?” Tallie said as Rogue Squadron closed on the incoming TIEs. “The fleet’s getting torn apart.”

“Until we get new orders, we stay on target. Keep those TIEs off our ships,” Wedge said. “Stay in attack formation. Watch out for turbolaser fire.”

“Roger that.”

The two squadrons closed on each other in the laser torn gulf of space between the two fleets.

Wedge’s hands shook slightly as he gripped the controls of his X-wing. He wasn’t as young as he used to be.

The first shots of laser fire flashed out as the pilots tested the range.

Then they were on each other.

Wedge squeezed off two precise shots, right through two TIE’s cockpits.

TIEs and Resistance fighters exploded as shots found their mark.

The TIEs made their first pass, going right past Rogue Squadron for the fleet. As X-wings broke off to pursue them, two went down to laser fire from the TIE’s rear gunners.

“They’re baiting you into getting on their tail,” Wedge said.

“What are we supposed to do, let them get to the fleet?” Tallie said as she sent her A-wing spinning through a barrage of turbolaser fire. The TIEs pursuing her were caught in the blasts and torn apart.

“The blind spots are on the port and starboard of the ion engines,” Wedge said. He came in on the spot he’d just mentioned, spearing the TIE’s engine with laser fire.

“I’ve got eyes on Kylo Ren’s ship,” Snap Wexley said. “I’m engaging.”

Laser fire from Kylo Ren’s fighter took out one A-wing, two, then an X-wing.

“Focus on staying alive,” Ren said over the comms, “We don’t have bodies to waste.”

“Best orders I’ve heard all day,” HX-1245, Skull, said from his TIE.

“You’ve got one on your tail, Shadow Leader,” HX-1313, Mynock, said.

Snap Wexley came in on Kylo’s blind spot. Kylo twisted to the side without looking in the X-wing’s direction. He brought the _Vendetta_ around. Wexley fired a pair of proton torpedoes at the TIE while it was maneuvering. Ren extended his hand. The torpedoes froze dead in space a scant few meters from Wexley’s X-wing. Wexley couldn’t stop in time. Kylo clenched his fist and the torpedoes detonated right as he flew by. Wexley’s X-wing blew apart.

“Snap!” Wedge shouted. He de-winged a TIE with two precise shots and dove for Kylo Ren. He opened up on him with all four cannons.

Ren’s ship rolled through the laserfire without being tagged once.

In the distance another Resistance ship fell under the _Supremacy_ ’s cannons. The _Supremacy_ ’s shields rippled under return fire from a half dozen ships, the flashes little more than pinpricks compared to its size.

Wedge stayed glued to Ren’s tail, matching him turn for turn. Each shot came closer to burning through the _Vendetta_.

“Need a hand, Shadow Leader?” Mynock said.

“I’m good. Keep on your targets,” Ren said. His eyes slid closed briefly even as he dove towards the _Finalizer_ ’s blazing cannons. “Wedge Antilles,” he murmured.

“You got him, Rogue Leader?” Tallie said over the comm.

“I got him,” Wedge said as he followed Kylo Ren into the teeth of the Star Destroyer’s guns. Both ships shook under the impact of the turbolaser blasts shooting past. Return fire from Resistance ships sent debris and shrapnel from the Star Destroyer’s superstructure flying into their path. Both of them wove through it all without being hit.

Wedge lined up one last shot on Ren. “Sorry, Princess.” 

Kylo slammed on his forward thrusters suddenly, stopping dead and then reversing backwards right at Wedge. He fired another thruster boost that put him just above the X-wing as he shot backwards. Then Kylo dropped the TIE’s landing gear. It crashed into Wedge’s X-wing as he went by underneath. The collision ripped off the landing gear. It also tore off all four of Wedge’s S-foils.

Both fighters spun through space. Kylo regained control of his TIE after a moment.

Wedge didn’t. His X-wing was dead in space.

Kylo brought his TIE around close enough they could see each other through their cockpit’s canopies. He lined up his cannons on the X-wing. He held his fingers over the trigger for a moment.

Then he gave Wedge a small salute with two fingers, “Well flown,” he said, even though Wedge couldn’t hear him.

“Are they lined up?” Kylo said over the comm.

“Right where you wanted them, sir,” Skull said.

“Hux,” Kylo said. “We’ve got some targets for you.”

“Firing now,” Hux said.

The TIEs began breaking off from their engagements.

“What the hell are they doing?” Tallie muttered.

The _Finalizer_ fired a barrage of mag pulse warheads from its underslung launchers. They detonated among Rogue Squadron in the gulf of space between the fleets, where the blasts couldn’t hit any First Order ships.

Most of Rogue Squadron hung dead in space, blue lines of energy coursing through their ships.

The TIEs came back around. One by one, they began shooting the X-wings and A-wings out of space.

**The** **_New Hope_ **

“I’ve gotta get out there!” Poe said, running for his X-wing, _Black One_.

“But what about the mission? What about Rey?” Finn said, running after him. They both stumbled as the ship shook. Sparks fell in showers from the ceiling.

**The** **_Fulminatrix_ **

Tydirian Claim sat in the gunner's chamber of the Dreadnought’s Orbital Cannons. Her cybernetic eye glowed crimson in the darkened room, magnifying the _New Hope_. Her hands deftly manipulated the holographic controls projected from the implants in her wrists. She lined up the shot. She fired.

“Forget Rey. Those men out there need help right-” Poe was saying.

Then the Orbital Cannons hit the _New Hope_. The shields blew, then the hangar did. The shot put a hole straight through the ship, ripping through a dozen decks at once. Poe and Finn were thrown off their feet as half the hangar exploded. Fiery bits of Poe’s X-wing pinged off the deck around them. Decompression tore at them as oxygen fled through the gaping tear in the ship. The shields flickered to life intermittently, making gusts of wind as air swirled in what was left of the hangar.

“The shuttle,” Finn moaned, rolling over and struggling to his feet.

“The shuttle,” Poe agreed.

Then the deck went out from under them.

The _New Hope_ listed in space, engines sputtering.

Everything not blown up or nailed down in the hangar slid towards the hole in the hull. Finn and Poe struggled for purchase as pieces of machinery slid past them. The shuttle began sliding too.

Finn and Poe ran for it. Secondary explosions around the ship sent them staggering and tripping. Cinders and shrapnel rained down from above. An X-wing hanging from a maintenance rig came next. Finn tackled Poe aside as it crashed into the deck. They struggled to their feet and kept running.

A man fell through from a hole in the ceiling. He was on fire. He hit the deck with a thump and a crack of shattering bones.

From behind, the walls of the hangar began buckling and tearing away from the ship’s superstructure with groans and screeches of metal. The hangar was in the process of falling off of the rest of the ship.

Finn caught up with the sliding shuttle. He lunged for the door. He missed, stumbled as the deck shifted under him, tilting slowly from a slope to a sheer drop towards the tear in the hull.

The door hissed open on its own. BB-8 rolled to the edge and fired a grapnel line at Finn. He caught it, reached back and grabbed Poe’s wrist with his other hand. Between the three of them, they managed to get inside the shuttle. Just as they cleared the threshold, the deck completed its terminal tilt as the ship rotated onto its side. The shuttle bounced and skidded as its slide turned into a fall.

Finn and Poe were thrown against the shuttle’s wall as the ship bounced.

“Gotta get to the cockpit,” Poe gasped. He climbed to his feet on the wall, which was the floor now, and ran. The shuttle rolled again, throwing him back to the floor with bruising force. Poe lunged for the door to the cockpit, got his hand on the frame as the shuttle smashed through a set of docking clamps. His wrist jerked painfully against the frame, but he managed to maintain his grip. Poe thrust himself into the cockpit. Finn fell through the door behind him.

The shuttle left the deck, free falling through the burning hangar towards the hole.

“What do I do?” Finn said.

“Sit down, shut up and hold on!” Poe barked.

Finn threw himself into the copilot’s seat and fumbled with the restraints.

Poe went for the controls. He slapped a hand down on the engine ignition. The engines sputtered.

“BB-8!” he shouted. “Fix it!”

BB-8 booped something scathing as he rolled along the wall, the floor, whatever surface presented itself, to the engine room.

The shuttle hit the tear, losing a wing on the jagged metal. Then they were in space. The engines sputtered again.

Burning capital ships hung on every side, a hell of metal and corpses drifting in the cold.

Directly below, a Bunkerbuster was lanced by turbolaser fire, blowing holes in its hull. The shuttle’s momentum was taking them right to it.

“Poe!” Finn shouted.

“I know, I know,” he said, jerking the controls. “BB-8!”

BB-8 surveyed the mess of the engine room. He deployed an arc welder and blasted the whole thing with electricity.

“That did it,” Poe said.

“Then pull up!” Finn shouted, gripping the armrests.

“Too late for that. This is gonna be unpleasant,” Poe said. He took tight hold of the controls. He aimed them for one of the gaping holes in the Bunkerbuster’s hull.

“Oh, no,” Finn said. “No, no no-”

Poe flew the shuttle into the hole, and then they were inside the ruined ship’s superstructure. The shuttle scraped against the jagged struts and beams in the ships interior.

“Sorry about this,” Poe muttered. Then he opened up with the shuttle’s cannons, widening the jagged passage. One last shot blew out the other side of the Bunkerbuster’s hull. They’d flown through the entire ship. They came out the other side just as the Bunkerbuster split in two.

The shuttle spun through space as Poe fought with the controls.

Ackbar struggled to his feet on the _New Hope_ ’s bridge.

“Do we have engines?” he barked.

A technician, Lieutenant Connix, dragged herself back to her station. She wiped blood from her eyes.

“We can make one jump before it all falls apart. Maybe.”

“That will have to do.” Ackbar got on the fleet comms. “All ships that can hear me, we are retreating. Make random jumps. We have numbers on them. They can’t pursue all of us. Meet at the secondary rendezvous if you can. May the Force be with us all.”

He pointed at Connix. “Make the jump.”

She punched the button. The engines rumbled. The ship groaned as its hull struggled to hold together. The _New Hope_ hung there for a moment, shivering between motionlessness and hyperspace. With a rip like fabric being torn, it made the jump.

It left a quarter of its mass behind.

Finn and Poe watched from the shuttle as Resistance ships began jumping to lightspeed.

“We have to look for survivors,” Poe said numbly.

“No way. Get us out of here,” Finn said.

“I’m not just going to run away, Finn. I’m not _you_. I have a responsibility.”

“We can’t help anyone if we’re dead,” Finn snapped. “Get us to Rey. And Luke Skywalker. He’ll know what to do.”

“Luke Skywalker,” Poe echoed. “You’re right, damn it. He’s our only hope.”

The shuttle jumped to lightspeed.

“That’s enough,” Kylo Ren said. The TIEs ceased fire on Rogue Squadron. Six of the two dozen fighters remained. “ _Finalizer,_ bring the rest in. I want to interrogate them personally.”


	6. Points of View

**Ahch-To**

Rey found Luke sitting on the hillside beside Artoo. He was speaking to the droid quietly.

"What are you doing up?" Luke said without turning to look at her. "I told you to rest."

"I couldn't sleep." she sat down beside them. "How about you?"

"I don't sleep much." He shrugged. "I like looking at the stars anyway."

Rey lay on her back and looked at the stars herself. "This isn't the same sky I saw at home. How many stars are there?"

"Not enough," Luke said quietly, still not looking at her. "It's always dark, and it's always cold. No matter how many suns there are in the sky."

They sat in silence for a while.

"I'm worried about my friends," Rey said, "Is it possible to sense what's happening to them? Could I..." she paused, considering her words carefully. "Talk to them? Through the Force?"

"Not here. The area is too strong with the Force. You can't sense anyone beyond these waters, and they can't sense you. If you close your eyes, you might even fool yourself into believing nothing bad is happening out there."

"Really? Impossible? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Luke said.

Rey settled back down into the grass.

"Master Skywalker?"

"Hm?"

"Can someone who has, what did you call it? The dark side. Can someone who has that get better?"

He chuckled softly. "You make it sound like a sickness."

"Isn't that what it is?"

"Maybe. From a certain point of view."

"So can they get better?"

"I don't know. My masters told me no. They told me that when someone turns to the dark side the person they were is destroyed."

"Is that true?"

"I didn't believe them then. Darth Vader saved me from the Emperor."

"I thought you said your father saved you... Oh. _Oh_."

"They don't mention that in the stories, do they?"

"No. So it is possible. If he could come back, anyone can, right?"

"I used to think so. But I never really found out. Vader died right after. He never had to face the consequences of what he did. He might have gone back to the dark side the day after. Or the day after that. Maybe he never came back to the light at all, maybe he could want to save his son and still remain on the dark side. And either way, does one good act really make up for the millions of deaths he was responsible for? I don't know."

Rey pushed herself up on her elbows, "How can you be a Jedi Master and not know so many things?"

"The old Jedi thought they knew everything. So did the Sith. Look where that got them. So did I, for a time. Turns out I was wrong. About everything."

"So who do I go to then? If you don't know the answer, who does?"

"There isn't any answer, Rey. Life's just life. No fate, no destiny. The only place you're going is where your feet take you. Nothing happens for a reason. Anyone can tell you they have the answer to it all. If they're lucky, it's the right one for them. But it won't be for you."

"I'm on my own, then." Rey murmured. "Don't you wish you had someone to tell you what to do? To make it all make sense."  
  


"All I have are ghosts. They scream at me every night. You don't want that. And you don't want me. The only place I have to take you is further down." Luke got up. He put up his hood, hiding his face from her.

"I want to train more. I want to go back. I want to help." Rey said.

"Why?"

"Isn't that what Jedi are supposed to do?"

"You're not a Jedi. And you never will be."

"I can do better. I can learn. I know I can. I'll get stronger."

"Stronger isn't the problem. You have darkness inside you. You know this about yourself. That's good."

"Doesn't everyone? I want to be good. Really. I just want to help."

"I know you do. But I've seen this kind of pain in someone only once before. It didn't scare me enough then. It does now."

"I won't be like Kylo. I couldn't do those things."

"I wasn't talking about him," Luke said. He turned to walk away. "Come to the temple in the morning. I have one more lesson for you."

"Master Skywalker?"

He stopped. "Yes?"

"If you don't believe Kylo can be redeemed, why do you keep a holopicture of him?"

Luke was silent for a long, empty moment. "I don't have any pictures of Kylo Ren," he finally said. Then he walked away.

Artoo rotated his dome between them. He burbled at Rey sympathetically. Then he rolled after Luke.

**Deep Space**

"Sound off if you can hear me," Wedge Antilles said as his disabled X-wing was pulled towards the _Finalizer_ by a tractor beam.

"Blue four here. Rogue four, sorry. We keep changing names," Finch Dallow said.

"Rogue Nine receiving," Wright said.

"Rogue five here," C'ai Threnalli said.

"Emerald eleven here. Rogue eleven. Whatever," Stomeroni Starck said.

"Rogue Two receiving," Tallie said. "Good idea installing these short wave radios in our ships."

"Sometimes the old ways work," Wedge said.

"What's the plan? Looks like we're in a tight spot."

"Everyone packing a blaster?"

"Of course we are."

"Then we only have one option. They're bringing us right into their hangar. I say we fight our way to some fighters and fly out. Everyone up for that? We're going to be surrounded by Stormies. If you'd prefer to take your chances with Imperial hospitality, speak up now."

No one spoke up.

"What, did you think any of us planned on dying of old age?" Tallie said.

"I didn't get hit by the mag pulse," Wedge said, "I don't have cannons, but I've got a pair of proton torpedoes I don't have anything else to do with. Everyone get ready. May the Force be with us."

Kylo Ren and Phasma entered the hangar as the resistance fighters were pulled in. Stormtroopers rushed in behind them.

"Weapons up, men," Phasma said.

"Remember, we want them alive," Kylo added.

"If possible. Don't risk your life for a rebel," Phasma said.

They looked at each other, expressionless mask to expressionless mask.

The stormtroopers set up in firing positions.

"Everyone ready?" Wedge said from his X-wing. He placed his fingers over the triggers as acknowledgements came in. The fighters touched down on the deck. "Here we go." Wedge fired.

"Everyone down!" Kylo Ren said, before the torpedoes had even left the tubes.

The torpedoes fired with a _poom_.

They streaked, unaimed, through the hangar. They hit the back wall, detonating in an explosion of magenta energy that sent flames and wreckage scattering through the hangar. Stormtroopers were thrown off their feet by the blast. Bits of destroyed TIE fighter rained down on the deck.

"Now!" Wedge said.

The pilots blew their canopies in unison. The first shots from their sidearms took out four stormtroopers. Tallie rolled out of her A-wing onto the deck. She fell into a crouch behind the ship's hull, putting a shot through the helmet of a Heavy Assault Trooper.

Kylo Ren's lightsaber buzzed to life. He smacked aside a blaster bolt aimed at his head.

A secondary explosion ripped through the room as the refueling lines caught flame.

Wedge squeezed off two shots from the cockpit of his fighter, felling the troopers on either side of Phasma. She put herself in front of a third trooper, taking the next shot on her chromium plated chest. Sparks flew from the impact but she was otherwise unharmed. Phasma raised her F-11D rifle.

Tallie threw herself on her belly as blaster fire streaked overhead. She shot out a pair of knees from under the A-wing's fuselage. She put another shot into the stormtrooper's torso when he hit the ground.

Blaster fire sparked off of the fighter's hulls as the stormtroopers opened up on the pilots. Two more stormtroopers dropped as they returned fire.

Wedge jumped from the cockpit, slamming into Phasma. He jammed his pistol into her armor. She clamped an armored gauntlet over his gun hand, twisted it away just as he fired. The shot went wide. She twisted again, taking the blaster from his hand and breaking his thumb as it went. Wedge drove his fist into her jaw. There was a metallic clang. Wedge's knuckles cracked painfully. Phasma slammed the blaster pistol down on Wedge's head, knocking him to his hands and knees. She aimed her rifle at Wedge's head, raised the pistol at another pilot. Her fingers fell on both triggers.

Kylo Ren threw out his hand before she could fire either. The Force pulsed through the room, freezing the pilots still as statues.

"Don't shoot that one," Kylo said, nodding at Wedge. "He'll have information."

"You're right," Phasma said. She took her rifle off of him. She turned her aim on C'ai Threnalli. She shot the Abednedo in the head. "That thing probably couldn't speak Basic anyways." She turned her mechanically amplified voice on the rest of the pilots. "Continue to resist, and more will die." She turned to her troopers. "Bind them."

Once the pilots were bound by stuncuffs, Kylo Ren released them from his mental grasp. C'ai Threnalli's body fell to the floor, strings cut.

"I'll take this one," Kylo Ren said, securing Wedge by the collar.

"Ever get tired of being a disappointment, Ren?" Wedge said.

"Shut up, old man," Kylo said. "Get moving." He shoved Wedge after the other pilots as they were led out of the hangar. "You might have been the fourth best pilot back in the Rebellion, but now you're not even that."

"Fourth? Really?"

"Skywalker, Solo, Syndulla."

"Hera? Come on. I could out fly her any day."

"I don't know. I don't think she would have fallen for that trick I pulled on you."

"That wasn't half bad, gotta admit."

"I was taught by the best."

"Damn right you were. I'm starting to regret letting you tag along on all those scouting missions now."

"Just now? I remember you complaining about the Solos dumping me on you all the way to Nar Shaddaa."

"And all the way back. You ever tried evading the Hutt Cartel in a Z-95 Headhunter with a fussy six year old on your lap? I've had better days with Imperial interrogation droids."

"Mom and Dad wouldn't let me out of their sight for months after that one," Kylo said.

"Cease fraternizing with the prisoner," Phasma said from ahead.

"Hear that, Ren? They're tugging on your leash," Wedge said.

"You don't know what you're talking about. I'm in command here. Now shut up and keep moving."

The procession of prisoners through the _Finalizer_ 's sterile halls was halted by a crowd of uniformed children. The oldest couldn't have been more than six.

One of them looked at a motivational poster on the wall, featuring Phasma standing atop the ruins of a Republic city while First Order flags stood in the background and TIEs flew overhead. She looked up at Phasma.

"Miss Phasma?"

"That's _Captain_ Phasma, whelp," Phasma said.

"Sorry," the child said, wilting. "Captain Phasma."

"What is your designation, child?"

"CT-one-one... uhm... one-one... " she looked down shyly. "I can't remember."

"That is unacceptable. I will have to have a word with your instructor."

The instructor in question swallowed visibly.

Phasma knelt in front of the child, her cape pooling on the floor.

"Look me in the eye, child. Do not look down for anyone."

"But..." she lowered her voice confidentially. "I can't see your eyes."

Phasma was silent for a moment. "You will make officer material with that kind of thinking. Then you will earn yourself a name."

The child bounced on her feet excitedly. "Really?"

"Really. Stop that."

The child stopped. "Captain Phasma?"

"Yes?"

She leaned close and pointed at Tallie. "She's scary."

"I know she looks very hideous. But that creature is no threat. In fact, you are it's better."

"I am?"

"Yes. Come see."

Phasma led the child over to Tallie. She kicked Tallie in the back of the knee, putting her on her knees in front of the child.

"Hi there, sweetie." Tallie said, suppressing a wince of pain, "My name's Tallie."

"Hello," she said uncertainly. "Why do you look like that?"

"I'm a Nautolan. We all look like this."

"Quiet!" Phasma struck Tallie on the back of the head. The child flinched. "The first lesson is that you must not treat these creatures like real people. They may be capable of speech, but they are not like us. Now, they may have special abilities; this one can breath underwater like a fish. But that does not make them superior. They still bleed." Phasma took a small vibroblade from her belt. She put it in the child's hand. "Go on. See for yourself."

She looked at the blade. She looked at Tallie.

"It's okay, sweetie," Tallie said quietly. "Don't be scared."

"Ignore it," Phasma said. She put her hand on the child's shoulder. "Cut the creature. Anywhere you like. It isn't a real person. You can do whatever you want to it. You've been taught to handle a weapon by now, surely."

"Uh-huh," the child said. She looked up at Phasma. She looked back at Tallie.

Phasma took her hand by the wrist and placed it and the blade against Tallie's cheek. "There you go. We all need some help every once and awhile. That's why the First Order is here. It's your family. Now all you need to do is push."

At the back of the line, Wedge pulled against Kylo Ren's grip.

"Don't," Kylo hissed in his ear. "Unless you want to get them all killed."

The child took a deep breath. She drew the blade across Tallie's cheek. A thin line of blood followed it. Tallie bit her lip.

"Harder, child," Phasma said. "Give her a scar to remember you by. With enough patience, and enough scars, creatures like this learn their proper place. It may take time, but they all learn in the end."

"And then she'll be my friend?" the child asked, brow furrowed.

"Then she will do whatever you want."

She frowned and tilted her head. "She'll play with me?"

Phasma sighed. "Harder," she said.

The child put some weight behind the blade.

Tallie cried out.

The child flinched away, dropping the knife.

"It's okay," Tallie said. "It's not your fault."

"Quiet," Phasma said. "Look, child." She pointed at the livid gash on Tallie's cheek. "You did that. She will carry that always, and whenever she sees it in the mirror she will remember this. That is real power."

The child touched the wound herself. She looked at the black blood left on her fingers curiously. She reached out again and tugged on one of Tallie's head tresses.

"Is this your hair?" she asked.

"Sorta," Tallie said.

The child touched her own hair. She placed her small hands on Tallie's face, tilting it this way and that way. Tallie let her.

The child turned back to Phasma. "She looks like me," she said.

"No, she doesn't." Phasma snapped. She patted the child roughly on the back. "You did well. You will go far." She picked up the blade and put it back in the child's hands. "Keep that. Use it well."

The child walked back to the other students.

"What are you all looking at?" Phasma demanded. "Get moving."

"Sorry," the child mouthed to Tallie as she walked by.

"It's okay," she whispered back.

Kylo pushed Wedge back into motion.

"The First Order, huh?" Wedge said.

"Shut up," Kylo said. He removed his hand from his lightsaber. He had been clutching it the entire time.


	7. The Dream Dies

**The** **_New Hope_ **

Ackbar helped Leia to her feet in the ruins of the bridge. “Are you well, Princess?”

“The medbay,” she said, shrugging him off. “Is the medbay intact?”

“Looks like it,” Lieutenant Connix reported. “Emergency systems divert all remaining shields there automatically.”

She let out a breath. “Thank the Force.”

“Status report,” Ackbar said.

“We’re still in one piece. Mostly. Decks five through nine didn’t make the trip,” Connix said. “Damage reports are still coming in but it looks like we have a breach straight through the ship. The whole thing could split in half any time.”

“Where are we?” Leia said. “Can we make the rendezvous?”

“We’re right between somewhere and nowhere.”

Leia and Ackbar both looked at the technician. He shrugged. “That’s the best I’ve got without long range sensors. We didn’t go very far, I know that much. The engines gave out.”

“There aren’t any systems within dozens of parsecs of here,” Ackbar said. “If we can’t get the hyperdrives online we will be dead in space.”

“There’s one place I can think of,” Hera said from where she was pressing a bacta patch to her shoulder. “Do we still have sensor data from the scouts?”

Connix found a working screen and tapped at it. “I’ve got it.”

“There it is,” Hera said. She pointed at the red dot on the screen. “The _Conqueror_. The Star Destroyer that ran out of fuel.”

“It’s just as dead in space as we are.” Ackbar said.

“It has working engines. We have fuel to spare.”

“And we can ride it out of here,” Leia said. “Good thinking, general. But how can we be sure it’s still there. We aren’t looking at current data. The First Order might have recovered it by now. And we don’t know exactly where we are. We’d be jumping blind.”

They exchanged glances.

“There’s no way to be sure,” Ackbar finally said. He consulted the map. “The closest system to our previous location is the Crait system.”

“That's twice as far as the _Conqueror_ ,” Hera said,.“We’d never make it.”

“But we actually know Crait will be there if we do,” Ackbar countered.

They all turned to Leia.

Leia bowed her head in thought for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut. “The _Conqueror_. It’s still there.”

“How do we know that?”

“I know,” Leia said. She walked away without elaborating.

“Is she…” Hera said slowly, “Well?”

“I’m not sure,” Ackbar said quietly. He turned to the crew and raised his voice. “Get those engines online! Someone map the stars and start plotting us a course for the _Conqueror_. We’re all making it out of this. The Force is still with us.”

**Ahch-To**

“Are you even trying?” Rey said. She and Chewbacca sat on either side of the Dejarik table, hand clasped to paw. Chewie grunted and applied more pressure to her arm. It didn’t budge. He rarred in annoyance.

“I’m not cheating. I’m practicing. Luke said I could control my body with the Force. I bet I can run really fast now too.”

Chewie barked.

“I do too have to practice with you. Artoo doesn’t have any arms.” Rey forced Chewbacca’s paw down to the table. 

He pulled away and stood up, roaring. He kicked the table angrily.

“You’re such a baby,” Rey said, laughing.

Chewbacca shook his head, growling under his breath.

“Chewie!” She swatted him on the shoulder. “That’s not nice. And I like my arms right where they are.”

She poked her head outside. The sun was rising over the sea.

“I have to go. Luke’s going to teach me something,” Rey said, fairly bouncing with excitement.

Chewbacca barked.

Rey waved him off. “He’s just testing me. He has to make sure I really want it. He can’t just go around teaching anyone Force powers. Obviously.”

Chewie rarred skeptically.

“I’m not making things up. Anyways, watch this.” Rey planted her feet solidly at the base of the ramp and closed her eyes briefly. Then she ran forward. She blurred with speed for a moment. Then her feet went out from under her and she hit the ground.

Chewbacca fell over himself laughing.

“Shut up,” Rey muttered. 

She walked up the stairs to the temple at a normal speed.

Luke sat in front of a stone table covered in Jedi texts. He paged through one.

“What’s that?” Rey said, leaning over his shoulder.

“Boring,” Luke said, closing it.

Rey unslung her pack from her shoulder and set it down on the table. “I see why you had me move all that water around now. You were teaching me how to enhance my strength with the Force.”

“Was I?” Luke said.

“You can’t fool me, Master Skywalker. I know you want me to figure things out for myself. Am I doing a good job?”

Luke sighed. “Yes. You’re doing a good job.”

Her face lit up. She took a selection of spare parts from the pack and laid them out on the table. “I saw how much you liked making the training drone. You can have these if you want. And I thought maybe you could show me how to move them with my mind. I pulled a lightsaber out of the snow once but… I don’t know how I did it.” she pushed the parts around with her fingers nervously. “Do you like them?”

Luke bowed his head. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you believe in me. What do I have to do to make you stop?”

“You can’t. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll believe in you no matter what.”

Luke shook his head. He stood up. He pointed at the bench in front of the table. “Sit.”

Rey sat down.

“Now, tell me how you moved the lightsaber.”

She shrugged. “I wanted it. So it came to me.”

“Alright. That’s a start. Reach out-”

Rey stretched her arm out.

“Not like that. Close your eyes. Feel your surroundings.”

Rey lowered her arm. She closed her eyes.

A minute passed. Another.

Rey cracked her eyes open. “Am I doing it right?”

Luke pointed at the parts. They were motionless on the table.

“What am I supposed to be doing? I’m just sitting here.” Rey said.

“Slow down. Let the Force in. This place is full of it. Ask it to move them where you want them to go. Once you practice enough, you won’t even have to think about it.”

Rey squeezed her eyes shut. “Luke…” she said.

“What is it?”

“I don’t like how this place feels.”

“You don’t? Why is that?”

“It’s… Funny.”

“Use your words.”

“It’s… Sweet. Cloying. It makes me want to spit it out. It’s like... The bed’s too soft and I’m sinking into it. I don’t like it.”

“Okay. What feels right? Don’t look. Just point. Wherever feels right.”

Rey was still for a moment. Her hand lifted hesitantly. She pointed. “That way, I guess.” She was pointing at the obsidian door.

Luke sighed. “That’s what I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, get out.”

Rey opened her eyes. “What?”

“I said,” Luke hooked his metal fingers in her collar. He yanked her off the bench.“ Get out of this temple. And get off this planet.”

“Master Skywalker…”

“Don’t call me that. I’m not your master. I’m not your teacher. And I’m sure as hell not your father.”

Rey took a step back, like she’d been slapped.

“I can’t tell if you’re deaf or just dumb. I told you I won’t help you. I’ll never help you. I think you’re beyond help. All I ever feel from you is pining for parents you can’t even remember. You’re not going to find them here, or with the Resistance, or with the First Order. You’re no part of this. You don’t belong. No one wants you. Maybe some of them pity you, but I don’t.”

“Why are you saying this?” Rey said. Her hands trembled, her breath came in gasps. “Stop it.”

“Not until you go away. I never want to see you again. And as soon as you take that heap of junk and fly away, I’m going to forget all about you. Just like your parents did.”

“Stop!” Rey screamed.

Across the hall, the obsidian door lit up with lambent red lines.

Rey threw her hand, and her anger, at Luke.

The wall shattered on either side of him, sending shards of stone and shredded papers raining down on the floor. Luke’s robes blew like he had been hit by a stiff wind, but he was otherwise unmoved.

“It’s easier when you’re mad, isn’t it?” Luke said impassively, kicking one of the spare parts on the floor.

Rey turned away from him, sank to her knees. Her shoulders bobbed as she began to cry.

Luke stood still. He bowed his head. He took a step towards her. He reached out. His hand hovered a bare inch from her shivering shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He pulled his hand back. A look of pure self-loathing came over his face.

Rey didn’t see.

“Get out,” Luke said. “Now.”

Rey stood on shaky legs. She ran from the temple.

Luke looked over at the obsidian door. The red lines faded as she left.

Luke sank to the half of the bench that was still intact. He put his head in his hands.

Artoo rolled up to him from the corner. He rolled right into Luke and whistled severely.

“I already told you. I have no choice. She has to get out of here. Before it’s too late for her.”

Artoo beeped.

“I know. I never said it would be easy.”

Rey stood outside the _Falcon_ , swinging at the makeshift training droid. She was hit far more than she blocked. Finally she let out a shout and cut the drone in half. The smoking hunks of metal fell to the ground.

Chewbacca poked his head out of the _Falcon_. He barked at her.

“I can’t do it, Chewie. I’m not strong enough,” Rey said, “I’m supposed to be surrounded by all this light, and all I can feel is that… that door. Why is it even there? This is supposed to be a good place. I don’t understand.” she sat down heavily on the ground.

Chewie walked over to her. He rarred.

“I can’t ask Luke. He…” she lowered her head.

Chewie sat down beside her. He barked.

“No. Leave him alone. He’s just testing me. It’s just a test. I still believe.” she rested her head on Chewie’s shoulder. After a time, she fell asleep.

_Rey. Rey, listen to me. Rey, wake up._

Someone nudged Rey hard on the arm. She sat up rapidly. Chewie was gone. Rain was pouring down from the leaden sky.

A figure in a brown robe was hurrying away from her, up the steps to the temple.

“Luke?” she said, wiping water from her eyes. When she lowered her hand, the figure was already at the top, slipping inside.

The wind and rain blew at Rey. She shivered in the sudden cold. She took up her quarterstaff from where it rested against the ramp. She ran up the stairs.

Inside, she found scraps of Jedi texts blowing in the wind. A set of wet footprints led into the shadowed hallway. To the obsidian door. It was ajar.

“Luke?” Rey called. “Chewie? Artoo?” No one answered. She placed a hand on her temple and closed her eyes. “Finn? Can you hear me?” And after a moment, “Kylo? Are you there?”

There was no one.

Rey looked at the door.

“I can’t go in there,” she whispered. She placed her hand on the lightsaber on her belt. She went in.

At first all Rey saw was a wall of darkness. From behind came the grinding of stone on stone. The door was sliding shut. Rey whirled around. The door shut with a boom.

“No!” Rey shouted, banging her fist on it. But there wasn’t even a door there anymore, just the jagged rocky face of a wall. As her eyes adjusted, she saw she was surrounded by tight confines of stone, stretching up into the dark above. The walls were dripping with moisture, caked with lichen and fungus. Mist swirled at her feet. A faint breeze came from deeper down the corridor through the stone. It carried the smell of flesh rotting and leaves dying. Rey closed her eyes briefly.

“Luke?” she said quietly. Nothing answered her but the echo.

Rey took her lightsaber from her belt with her free hand and activated it. The blade cast a blue glow off the walls. Rey crept forward.

Behind her, something skittered along the wall.

Rey held the blade out before her as she walked. Her feet squelched in the sodden earth. The breeze carried sounds to her. Things slithering and skittering somewhere in the dark. She saw bones in the walls. Set deep into the stone.

The corridor began to widen. She heard someone scream, far away. Closer, something laughed. Or maybe cried. Rey turned in a slow circle.

“Who’s there?” she said. Her voice shook.

The mist grew thicker, swirling around her. Somewhere beyond that, something red glowed.

Rey kept walking through the mist.

“Luke?” she said again.

The whispers were the only thing that responded.

_There she is_

_At last_

_Avenge us_

“I’m not listening,” Rey said. “This isn’t real.”

_Strike him down with all of your hate_

_Peace is a lie_

_We prepared, we grew stronger, while you rested in your cradle of power_

Rey kept walking. The floor beneath her was hard now, making her footsteps echo in the mist.

She could hear running water and something clattering. Electricity crackled in the mist. The mist seemed to absorb the light from her blade, until it was little but a faint glow that barely illuminated her path.

Behind her, a shapeless form in rags lurched to its feet from the floor, joints shifting and warping across its frame. It stumbled a step towards her, crooked arms extended. When Rey spun around, nothing was there.

“This isn’t real,” she repeated.

_There is only passion, through passion you gain strength_

_Come to us, child_

_Avenge us_

_You assumed no force could challenge you_

_Rey? Rey, is that you?_

“Who is that?” Rey said. “I can’t hear you. There’s too many voices.” _  
_

_Only two there shall be, no more, no less_

_Rey? Rey, it’s us_

_Through strength you gain power_

_The dark side of the force is the pathway to many abilities_

Rey stumbled forward as the mist grew thicker. She fell to her knees, splashing in moving water. She placed a hand on the floor as she got up. It came away dripping red. She was standing in a stream of blood. She gagged and wiped her hand on her tunic.

_Rey? Rey, we’re here_

“Mom?” Rey whispered. “Dad?”

_A master and an apprentice_

_Through power you gain victory_

_Rey? Come to us. Please_

_You were deceived, and now, your Republic has fallen_

“I’m coming,” Rey said. “Stay there. I’ll find you.”

Her feet splashed in the stream of blood. She felt it soaking through her boots.

Beyond, something dripping. The stream was falling into something. Rey held out her lightsaber. The mist sizzled as the blade vaporized the moisture. The faint blue glow illuminated the pit. A hole deep in the stone. The walls lined with jagged black spikes. The spikes caked in blood and shredded clothing. She could hear it now. The whispers were coming from the pit.

_Through victory your chains are broken_

_Avenge us_

_Rey? Rey, we’re down here_

Rey bit her lip. She closed her eyes briefly. “I know you’re not real.” she stepped closer to the edge. She heard something skitter in the pit. Then a hand clamped down on the edge. Bone fingers dug into the earth.

Rey stumbled back as it clawed its way out of the pit. Rags coated its frame, the ruins of a billowing black robe. Beneath was nothing but bones and rotted sinew.

_Rey?_ It said, _Rey, we’re right here_

Then it rushed at her, skeletal feet beating on the hard ground, clawed fingers outstretched.

Rey staggered backwards as the mist bled with black like ink being poured into water. She was in swirling darkness now, as the rotted dead thing lunged for her. The lightsaber sputtered in her hand. The darkness seeped into it. She swung the blade. It went out before it could hit, smothered by the dark. Then it was on her. Rey cried out as skeletal hands closed around her throat. She dropped the quarterstaff as it bore her backwards. She slammed hard into a wall she hadn’t seen in the darkness. Her fingers scrambled uselessly on the thing’s grip. The wall was slick with slime against her back. Rotting things dripped on her head from the impact. Slithering things grasped at her hair. The dead thing’s jaws fell open. Beetles and worms crawled from between its blackened teeth. Not teeth, fangs. A cloud of darkness came from deep inside the creature, out through its jaws. Rey choked as it washed over her. She locked her hands around the thing’s wrists, tried to pry it away. Her palms were sliced open on it’s jagged surface. It pulled her forward, slammed her hard into the wall again. Her breath left her. When she sucked air back in, she brought in a lungful of roiling darkness as well. She coughed, choked. The dead thing’s jaws began clacking open and shut on the air, biting its way for her neck.

_Rey, we’re finally going to be together_

Rey threw out her hands, called on the Force. Black veins stood out on her hands. Her fingers seemed to twist and warp before her eyes, turning into withered claws.

_Some consider to be unnatural_

_The Force shall free you_

_Avenge us_

_Or else_

“This isn’t real,” Rey gasped, as the clacking jaws closed on her neck.

_We love you, Rey_

Then a blue blade manifested in the thing’s chest, stabbing up vertically from the base of its spine up through its rib cage and sternum.

It looked down at the lightsaber. Slowly, it’s features began to shift. Muscle and skin overlying the bone, rotting in reverse. A face began to appear.

“Mom?” Rey said. “Dad?” she looked closer. Before any features could appear, the blade was torn free. The body fell to the ground, smoke rising from the hole through it.

“No!” Rey said, as the face melted away, rotting again before her eyes. She fell to her knees over the body. “Come back.”

She looked up. A figure in a hooded brown robe stood over her, wielding her lightsaber.

“Luke?” she said. She couldn't see its face.

It dropped the lightsaber. Rey rushed to catch it. When she looked up, the figure was on the other side of the pit.

_Rey, this way_. The figure beckoned.

_Ignore him_

_Join us_

_Avenge us_

_Cast off your chains_

_Accept the power_

_Save them_

“None of you are real,” Rey said. She grabbed her quarterstaff off the ground. She secured the lightsaber to her belt. She picked her way around the pit. She heard more clattering from inside. She didn’t look.

She went for the hooded figure. It turned away from her, began walking.

“Wait. Who are you?”

It stepped into the swirling darkness. Rey chased after it. She went blind into the dark.

From somewhere up ahead, red light bled into the blackness, outlining swirls of smoke. The whispers died away, as did the trickling blood. There was only one sound in the red tinged dark. The deep rasp of respirated breathing. A figure clad in black stood ahead. A dark cape trailed behind it and red light glinted off its domed helmet.

Slowly, it turned towards her. It extended a hand.

Then all of it was gone. The figure, the breathing, the darkness.

Rey was standing in a dark chamber. The obsidian door was several dozen meters behind her. And where the dark figure had been, stood Luke Skywalker.

He wore a black, hooded robe. Behind him was a stone table. Pyramidal, red holocrons lined it, as did books bound in metal and spikes. The hilt of a lightsaber rested beside the other items.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Luke said.

“What… What are you… No,” Rey said. “Not you.”

“Leave,” Luke said.

“What did you do?” Rey said. “I feel it all around. I feel it on _you_. The dark side.”

“I told you not to come here.” he spoke in a low monotone. “I warned you.”

“I don’t believe…” Rey shook her head. “What did you do to him? What did you do to Kylo?”

Luke didn’t speak.

“Did you do it? Did you kill someone?” Rey hefted her quarterstaff. “Answer me!”

“No,” Luke said.

Rey took a swing at him. Luke smacked the staff aside with his metal hand.

Rey looked down at the staff. She clearly couldn’t believe she’d done it. Then she swung at him again. Luke stepped aside, let the staff go past and hit the ground. The holocrons on the table swirled with crimson light.

Rey swung again. Luke took a step back, the staff whistling through the damp air between them. Then he took a carefully spaced step forward and slammed his metal hand down on the haft of the quarterstaff, knocking it down out of her grip.

“Stop,” Luke said.

Rey stood stock still for a moment. Then she reached for her lightsaber.

Luke twitched a finger and it tore off her belt and shot into a shadowed recess of the chamber.

Rey thrust out her hand. The other lightsaber, the one on the table, shot past Luke into her hand. She activated it. A crimson blade boiled from the emitter.

Rey flinched back from it. Her wide, panic shot eyes went to Luke. Then back to the red blade. Slowly, the fear transmuted to determination. Rey assumed a ready stance.

Luke flicked a glance at the lightsaber in the corner. Then he looked away from it. He didn’t make a move towards it.

He shifted his stance slightly, feet spread for balance.

“This isn’t going to go the way you think,” Luke warned her.

Rey took one breath. Two. Then she lunged, raised the crimson blade, brought it down.

Luke didn’t move. He raised his human hand. The blade came down.

Luke caught it. He caught the lightsaber blade on his palm. Sparks flew. Rey looked at the blade in shock. Red light fell over Luke’s face as he held the lightsaber in his grip.

He thrust out his other hand and Rey was catapulted backwards into the far wall, pinned there. Luke let the lightsaber fall to the floor. Smoke rose from his palm. When it cleared he was unharmed.

Rey thrashed against the force pinning her.

Luke held out his metal hand. He pinched two fingers on the air, slowly brought them closer to each other.

Rey choked, clutched a hand to her throat. She flailed her other hand at Luke.

Cracks formed on the floor as power left her, blasting at Luke. His robes rippled. The holocrons behind him were thrown against the wall. The table followed, shattering to fragments.

Luke’s feet slid slightly. He grimaced and closed his fingers.

Rey gasped. Her vision slowly began to go dark. She slid down the wall, crumpled to the floor.

As blackness crawled across her eyes, the last thing she saw was Luke speaking to an empty room.

“You shouldn’t have brought her here,” he said. “You should leave her alone.”

Then Rey passed out.


	8. His Father's Lightsaber

"How's the engine doing, BB-8?" Poe asked.

BB-8 warbled mournfully.

"We're in trouble, Finn," Poe said.

"I don't want to die in space," Finn said, firmly closing his eyes and tightening his grip on the armrests.

"We're not dead yet. We can still make the rendezvous with the _Falcon_. I hope," Poe added under his breath. "But we're going to need to have intel ready for Luke Skywalker. Do you have any idea what that supership was they dropped on us?"

"The _Supremacy_ ," Finn said.

Poe looked at him sidelong. "So you've heard of it. How do we blow it up?"

Finn opened his eyes and sat up in his chair. "We can't."

"Why the hell not? It has to have an exhaust port or a power core or something. Anything can be blown up if you try hard enough. I know you just got out of their indoctrination, but the First Order can be beaten, Finn. You just have to believe."

"Save the speech. I mean, we shouldn't blow it up. The _Supremacy_ isn't just a big ship, it's the First Order's capital. There are millions of people on that thing. Non-combatants. Kids. No way I'm telling you how to blow it up."

"You can't be serious, man. This is a war. As long as they have that thing backing them up there's no way we can win. We barely have a fleet left. I don't know if any of the ships that made it out are even battle ready. If we don't stop the First Order now, that ship's going to disappear back to wherever they've been hiding it all this time. And the next time we see it, it'll be bombarding an inhabited planet to dust."

"I'm not telling you how to kill a buncha innocent people. That's why I left the First Order. No way I'm helping the Resistance do the same thing."

"We're the good guys, Finn. Someone has to stop them. And right now that's us. Come on, we all need you."

"Sorry, Poe. I'm still with you, I owe you one. But... don't ask me about that again."

Poe shrugged with false ease. "That's fine, buddy. You'll come around. I know you will."

"I'm going to see if there's any food in this thing," Finn said, getting up. He kept one hand firmly pressed against the bulkhead as he walked out.

Poe looked out into the empty depths of space. The controls began to rattle beneath his hands.

"Just hold it together a little longer," Poe said.

**The** **_Supremacy_ **

"We have done well, Kylo Ren," Snoke said. "The Resistance has been routed for the final time. They will not recover from the blow we have struck."

"They won't stop," Kylo said. "Not as long as any of them survive."

"So bloodthirsty. Sometimes I wonder if you have been trained too well. Other times I wonder if I have failed to train you at all. This is a concerning thought. Don't you think?" Snoke directed the last to the Zabrak woman occupying his throne today. She nodded. "I thought so, too. What do you suppose we should do about Kylo, here, my dear?"

She leaned up and whispered something into his ear.

Snoke chuckled, "You amuse me. Perhaps you have more uses than I assumed. Tell me, do you have any ideas how I might deal with the Republic?"

She spoke in carefully hushed tones. "Kill them? Thoroughly?"

"Now there's a thought. Kylo here wants to negotiate with them. I thought it was a silly idea too, but I chose to indulge him."

"I am preparing to open diplomatic channels," Kylo said stiffly. "It's not easy given the state of their leadership. Even they don't know who's in charge."

"Hush, Kylo. Adults are talking," Snoke said. "How would you like a planet, dear? I'm about to own quite a few of them, I'm sure I can spare one for a useful servant. I have precious few of those."

Kylo gestured and a table covered in half eaten plates of food and goblets crashed into the wall.

"I wasn't done with that," Snoke said imperturbably.

"If you spent as much time running this war as you do playing games we would have taken the Core by now," Kylo said.

"I'm the Supreme Leader. I have people for that. Now, I've already had my very large and important ship fly all the way to this Force forsaken sector of space to deal with those Resistance pests for you. I think I've earned a break."

"I'll go back to fighting the war, then."

"Please do."

Kylo stalked for the door.

"Oh, Kylo?" Snoke said after him, "Did you happen to sense if your mother died on one of those Resistance ships?"

Kylo stopped dead. "Why would I know that?"

"I assumed you would sense it."

"I have no connection to people from my former life."

"I see," Snoke said. "Well, if she did survive and you happen to come across her, kindly kill her. At length. I understand you let Solo die quick. None of that this time. And I would like a recording this time. I missed seeing Solo die. That is a tragedy I won't soon get over."

Kylo left.

Snoke settled back on this throne. When the Zabrak tried to lean into him, he pushed her away. "Begone. You've served your purpose." 

She scampered away.

Snoke steepled his fingers and dipped his head, lost in schemes.

Kylo Ren returned to the _Finalizer_ 's bridge.

"Begin undocking procedures," he ordered. "Set a course for the _Conqueror_. We're not leaving our men behind."  
"Orders from the Supreme Leader?" Hux said.

"Something like that," Kylo said, "Tell the crew to prepare weapons. We may not be alone when we arrive."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I just do." Kylo dropped into a chair and looked pointedly away.

Hux and Phasma exchanged glances.

**Ahch-To**

Rey woke up. Her head was resting against an interior wall of the temple. She wasn't in the place behind the door anymore.

The first thing she saw was Chewbacca. He was standing over her, pointing his bowcaster at Luke. Artoo was between them, warbling loudly. Chewbacca clamped one paw down on Artoo's dome, lifted him into the air, and set him down out of the way.

Luke took a step forward. Chewbacca barked warningly, hefting his bowcaster.

Rey's eyes lighted on her pack, lying among the fragments of shattered stone on the floor. She stretched her hand towards it. Her blaster shot out. It wobbled in her mental hand, fell to the floor in front of her. She lunged for it, came up aiming it at Luke.

"Stay away!" she said, voice shaking, "You're a..." she turned to Chewie,."He's a Sith."

"Never," Luke said. He took a step towards them. "Chewie, put that thing down and listen-"

Chewbacca roared. He fired the bowcaster. Luke didn't move a muscle. The shot hit the wall beside his head. Chewbacca barked warningly and aimed his bowcaster at Luke.

Luke made a minimal motion with two fingers.

Artoo had gone quiet beside them. He extended his electric pike slowly. Then he drove it into Chewbacca's leg. The Wookiee roared, his fur instantly fluffing up under the shock. He turned to Artoo. The droid warbled an apology. Chewie barked back. Then he kicked Artoo, sending the droid skidding across the floor. Luke held out his hand and Artoo halted. He raised his other hand and Chewie's bowcaster flew from his grip.

Chewbacca looked at Luke. He looked down at Rey. Specifically, he looked at the fresh bruises on her throat. His paws clenched.

"Chewie," Luke said. "Don't."

Chewbacca charged at him.

Luke held his ground as the Wookiee barreled at him.

He stepped smoothly aside at the last moment. Chewbacca's fist hit the wall, buckling the stone and throwing up a cloud of rock dust.

Rey held her gun trained on Luke. Her finger shook over the trigger. She fired.

Luke's hand shot up, catching the blaster bolt on his palm. Chewbacca wrenched his fist from the wall in another hail of shattered stone, whipped his arm at Luke in the same motion. Luke bent slightly at the waist, ducking under the blow and ending up behind the Wookiee. He took another step back and a shot from Rey whizzed past right where his head had been.

"Stop it, both of you," Luke said.

"Don't listen to him," Rey said.

Chewbacca swung a punch at Luke. Luke caught the blow in his mechanical hand with a clang. He made a patting motion with his other hand and Rey slammed face first into the ground. Her blaster flew from her grip. Artoo rolled over to it and hit it with a blast from his fusion cutter, reducing it to slag.

Chewbacca lashed out with his other fist, catching Luke square in the face. Luke stumbled back. He placed a hand on his nose. It came away bloody.

"Chewie!" Luke said, genuinely offended. "You hit me!"

Chewbacca growled levelly.

"You don't understand."

"No," Rey said, voice still rough and scratchy. "We don't."

Chewbacca went over to her and pulled her up. He barked at her.

"I'm fine."

He tugged on her arm.

"Not yet." Rey said, tugging away. "I'm not leaving until I know. Everyone back at the Resistance thinks you're the only one who can save them. Everybody in the galaxy thinks you're a hero. How can you be..." she gestured at Luke. " _This_? You're not even a Jedi. You kept telling me there was something wrong with me. You said there was too much darkness in me. And the whole time you were back there with the pit and the voices and the monsters. The only thing I hate right now is _you_."

"You need to leave," Luke said. "Now. It's not safe."

"No. Not until you tell me."

Luke grimaced and clenched his fists. "I kept telling you I couldn't help you. It's not my fault you didn't listen. I _am_ a Jedi, Rey. The Jedi were the ones who built this place. Even that," Luke pointed at the door. "A very long time ago, before even the Old Republic, the Jedi believed that the dark side was as necessary for balance as the light side was. Any temple had to have places to commune with _both_. They abandoned those ideas a long time ago. Maybe rightly so. But here, now, it's finally going to end the war."

"How is any of this going to stop the First Order?"

"This isn't about the First Order. Or the Empire. Or the Sith. This is all about the dark side and the light. The opposing forces that are behind every conflict in the galaxy. As long as there are devotees of either side, they will fight as the Force strives for balance. But that balance can never exist. All it leads to is an endless cycle of war. Jedi wiping out Sith and Sith wiping out Jedi in pointless battles again and again, over thousands of years. I'm ending all of that here. There are no more Sith, and I am the last Jedi. I'll be the balance myself. Dark and light. And as long as I stay here, the cycle will stall. And once I die, I hope it will stop completely. All the old knowledge will be gone. And maybe everyone can finally be free to live their lives without war."

"You're insane," Rey murmured. "People are dying out there right now, and you're not doing anything about it."

"I have to look at the bigger picture. I'm thinking about the destiny of the entire galaxy. You can't just run off on some idealistic crusade and think you're going to change anything. One person, one small group of people, can't stop any of this."

"I don't care. I don't care about the Force or balance or destiny or any of that poodoo. I just want to help my friends. And... and I'm going to," Rey decided. "Come on, Chewie." she collected her pack. "We're leaving." 

She grabbed Chewbacca by the arm and hauled him towards the exit. He looked back at Luke once. Then he followed her. Artoo looked between Rey and Luke for a moment. Then he rolled over to rest beside Luke.

"I'm not going to tell them what happened," Rey said. "I'm going to tell them you died. It'll be better that way."

Luke bowed his head.

"Rey," he said. He took her lightsaber off his belt and tossed it to her. "Keep it." he placed his hand on the other lightsaber on his belt. The red one. "I already have my father's lightsaber."

Rey caught the lightsaber. She looked back at Luke once. Then she left.

Luke stood watching at the cliff as the _Millenium Falcon_ lifted off and shot into the sky.

"We did the right thing," he said to Artoo. "We saved her. That's all that matters."

He went back towards the temple.

Artoo chirped at him once, solemnly.

"That's not true," Luke said. "I'm nothing like my father."

Then he went inside.

As Chewbacca piloted, Rey rushed out of the cockpit. He barked after her.

"I'm fine," she snapped. She pushed into the first room that had a bed and flopped down on it without looking around. She buried her head in a pillow.

"What are you doing in my room?" Kylo Ren said.

"Not now," Rey moaned. She sat up and looked around. The walls were covered in vintage Clone Wars posters of long dead Jedi. The desk in the corner was lined with model starfighters and holopictures.

"It's not my fault. You're the last person I want to spend time with."

Rey stood. She walked over to the desk. "This stuff is yours?"

"It was."

"Right," Rey said. She picked up one of the models and threw it hard at the ground. It broke on the deck plating.

"Hey! That was a limited edition!" Kylo protested.

Rey picked up another one and dashed it against the wall.

"Stop that," Kylo said, rushing over to her. He grabbed her by the arm without thinking. To both of their surprise, it worked. Kylo's hand wrapped around her wrist. They looked at each other wordlessly for a moment. Then Rey pulled away. She slumped down on the bed.

"I hate the Force," she muttered. "I hate you. I hate _him_." she began punching a pillow repeatedly.

"Anger is not the Jedi way," Kylo said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not a Jedi. I'll never be a Jedi!" Rey threw the pillow at him. It passed through him and hit the wall. She was trembling with anger.

"What's the matter with you?" Kylo demanded. He sat down next to her.

"Leave me alone!" she snapped, punching him on the arm.

"Calm down." Kylo said. He reached for her. Rey smacked his hand away.

"I'm trying to help you," Kylo said. He placed his hand lightly over hers. He closed his eyes.

Rey's breathing instantly slowed. Her fists unclenched.

"Just breath," Kylo said. "Breath it all out. The anger doesn't belong to you. You don't have to try and keep it."

Rey shook her head halfheartedly. "I don't want your help. You don't really care. You're just trying to trick me."

"Why would I waste time trying to trick _you_? You're nothing to me."

Rey's breath hitched slightly.

Kylo leaned forward and regarded Rey intently. "Sorry," he said. "You didn't want to hear that, did you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Kylo tapped his forehead with his free hand, "It goes both ways. You're not nothing to me. I think about you a lot. Y'know, about cutting you into little pieces or turning you to the dark side. If that's not caring I don't know what is."

Rey managed a chuckle, "You don't have to try to turn me. Apparently I'm already there."

"Now, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I've read your mind. You're nauseatingly moral. Honestly I find it offensive."

Rey let the rest of her breath out and fell back on the bed.

"I don't care about the dark side or the light side or whatever, anyway. I'm just me. I don't care what anyone says."

"Sounds like you care to me," Kylo observed.

Rey looked over at him. "Sounds like you care too. Why?"

He shrugged, "You... remind me of someone."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No. Want to talk about why Skywalker isn't with you?"

"No."

They sat in silence.

"Did you kill any of my friends while I was gone?" Rey said after a time.

"I'm not sure," Kylo said honestly. "Maybe."

"I want to help you," Rey said suddenly. "Will you let me?"

"You can't."

"I want to try."

"Why? Why would you do that? What's wrong with you?"

She shrugged, "It's the right thing to do. Why do I need another reason? You helped me, anyway. I owe you one now."

"Well, it was either this or let you hack up my room with a lightsaber or something. If you want to do that, get your own room. Didn't Skywalker teach you anything?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Right. Sorry."

Rey squeezed his hand. "I don't really hate you."

He looked away for a moment. He shrugged with one shoulder, "Of course you don't. Who could hate a face like this?"

Rey rolled her eyes, "Don't make me beat you up again."

"Are you ever going to stop bringing that up?"

"Nope."

Rey sat up suddenly. Her face lit up like it was Life Day morning. "Finn. He's close." she jumped up and ran for the door. She paused and turned back to Kylo. "How's my hair?"

"Rey," he said seriously. "When's the last time you took a shower?"

She thought about it, "One time a moisture vaporator blew up near me and a bunch of water fell on me."

Kylo pointed. "Second door on the right. And change your clothes. For all our sakes."

"Thanks," she said, running out. "Chewie! Scan for ships."

Kylo sat alone in the room. He got up and walked over to the desk. He looked over the model ships and pictures. In one of the images, Ben Solo stood with an arm around a girl's shoulders. Behind them stood a stone temple, while a gas giant hung low and red in the sky. Kylo reached out to touch it, his hand just as immaterial as the holo was. He clenched his fingers into fists.

He faded from the room.

... "Thank the Force," Finn said as he and Poe exited the docking bay into the _Falcon_. "I'm never getting in one of those things again. Say what you will about the First Order, I never worried their shuttles were gonna fall apart around me."

"Slave labor does wonders for quality, I guess," Poe said. "I don't know why we haven't caught on to that yet."

"Finn!" Rey shouted, barreling into him and throwing her arms around him before he even made it through the door. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay. It takes more than a few lightsaber hits to keep me down. The docs said they've never seen anyone recover so fast," Finn said.

"I don't even care you're a liar," she said.

"Hey, you're not covered in dust," Finn noted.

"I was never _covered_ in dust," Rey said defensively.

Poe cleared his throat.

"Oh, hi," Rey said, letting Finn go. "You must be Poe."

Poe shook her hand, "I've heard a lot about you." he looked around. "I don't mean to be rude, but I need to talk to Luke Skywalker. The Resistance is in trouble. I need to get him up to date as soon as possible."

Rey looked down, "He's not here."

"What do you mean? Where is he?"

"He's... not coming. Ever." Rey said.

"He... he's not..." Poe trailed off. "Really?"

"Really." Rey said. "We're on our own."

The three of them looked at each other.

"So..." Finn said, "Now what?"

"The fleet's really gone?" Rey said as she helped haul supplies from the shuttle into the _Falcon_.

"We don't know." Poe said, "There hasn't been anything on any Resistance frequency. Now that we have a working ship we can go to the secondary rendezvous."

"I should never have left," Rey muttered.

"Listen, kid, I know you're supposed to be some kind of big deal, but you couldn't have changed anything. No one could have. We just got beat."

"I could have tried. And don't call me kid."

"Whatever you say." Poe watched as Rey hefted a crate of weapons bigger than she was over her shoulder and carried it back to the _Falcon_ without any apparent effort. "Pretty handy, huh?"

"Hm?" Rey set the crate down.

"The Force."

"Sometimes," she said. "There has to be more we can do. We won't do them any good sitting around at a rendezvous."

"Can you take down the whole First Order with your Force stuff? Because otherwise we don't have a lot to work with."

"We have Finn." Rey said.

Poe looked over at Finn, who was lounging at the Dejarik table, eating something out of a nutripack. He waved at them. "Keep up the hard work."

"Right," Poe said to Rey.

BB-8 warbled from where he had taken up residence on Chewbacca's shoulder.

"You're right, BB-8." Poe said. "Cantonica."

"Where?" Rey said.

"Not really sure, but BB-8 says we have contacts there. We can contact the Republic. They can send the support we need. We're going to need a lot of fire power to take out the _Supremacy_."

"Take it out? If that thing's as big as you said it is, won't it have non-combatants on it? We can't just blow them all up," Rey said.

Poe sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

"What's the matter?" Rey said.

"Just realizing I'm the only member of the Resistance on this ship." Poe went for the cockpit.

"We _are_ part of the Resistance," Rey went after him. She gestured at Finn. He got up to follow. He brought the nutripack. "We just don't want to commit mass murder. I thought the Resistance was built on ideals."

"It is. But I didn't hear anyone complaining about human rights when they blew up the Death Star. I don't expect you to get this, kid, but when you have a blaster on you, morals take a back seat." Poe sat at the pilot's seat.

"I've had lots of blasters pointed at me, thank you very much. And what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm... piloting the ship. To Cantonica. Like we just talked about."

"Then get out of my seat."

Poe snorted. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm the pilot here. How many flight hours do you have?"

Rey shrugged, "A few hundred in a sim. Two or three in a real ship."

"Two or three..." Poe echoed. He looked at Finn. "Is she serious?"

"She's serious," Finn said.

"I can use the Force," Rey said. "It makes me a better pilot."

"I've been flying since before I could walk. I don't care how much Force you have, you're not a better pilot than me."

"Finn, you've flown with us both. Who's the better pilot?" Rey said.

"Uh..." Finn replied, looking between them.

Chewbacca poked his head into the cockpit and growled.

"What did he say?" Poe asked.

"He said to shut up and fly or he's going to throw us all off his ship," Rey reported.

"Right, sorry," Poe said. "Chewbacca, sir."

"He also said not to get used to it," Rey said. "Come on Finn. Try not to crash us into anything," she called back to Poe.

"Uh-huh," he said, taking the controls.

"Rey," Finn said as soon as they were out of earshot. "What are we doing here?"

"I was going to ask you to spot me while I do some lightsaber practice. I -um- usually hit things. I don't want to cause a hull breach."

"I mean," Finn glanced back at the cockpit and lowered his voice. "I don't remember either of us signing up for the Resistance. Last time I checked you just wanted to go back to Jakku. Why don't we just get out of here?"

"We?" Rey said with a raised eyebrow. "What's this we?"

"I-uh... I mean... um..."

Rey snickered at his discomfort. "I'm here because it's the right thing to do. Just like you are."

" _What_? Rey, have you _met_ me? I've been spending all my time trying to get _out_ of a fanatical military organization. I don't want to get caught up in another one."

"You don't mean that." Rey took her lightsaber out of her pack and looked it over.

"Rey, I shot people I grew up with in the back to get out of the First Order. All I've been doing is running away from things. I'm not a good guy." Finn drew up short and frowned. He clearly had no idea why he was being so truthful.

"Finn, come on. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. And that's a tough competition. You're the bravest person I know."

"What? Me? We're both talking about me here, right?"

"The Force is doing the talking. I'm just listening. You should stand back," she added as she activated the lightsaber.

Finn took a few steps back. "You know how to use that thing now?"

"Not really."

He took a few more steps back.

"Do you remember your parents?" Rey asked with suddenness.

"No." Finn shrugged, "Why?"

"And... you don't care?"

"Not really. They clearly gave me good genes, so I guess I'm thankful for that. Otherwise... Nope. I'm good."

"Huh," Rey said. "Don't you ever get lonely?"

"No way. I had good old FN battalion. Grew up with those guys."

"Did you have a lot of friends? I bet you did."

"Oh, yeah. Or... I used to, anyway."

"Tell me about them," Rey swung the lightsaber back and forth experimentally.

"Don't you need to pay attention to that?" Finn took another step away.

"Just keep talking," Rey said.

Finn shrugged. "I can do that. So, back in remedial hand to hand training, musta been like five then, I met 5467 and 3421. Best guys I know. One time I lost my helmet in a trash compactor and those guys spent all night crawling around in there trying to find it with me. Thing is, we weren't alone in there..."

Rey's eyes slid closed as he talked. She just listened, less to the words as to the sound of them. Then she began moving the lightsaber. She let the world fall away.

When she opened her eyes, she had no idea how much time had passed. Her breathing had increased slightly. She blinked and looked around.

Finn was staring at her, "Rey... that was..."

"Oh, no. Did I break something? Chewie's going to kill me."

"What? No. Rey, that was beautiful," Finn seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." Rey poked him on the shoulder. "That was all you."

Finn flushed and looked everywhere but her face.

"Hey! You two," Poe called from the cockpit. "We're coming up on Cantonica."

Rey and Finn went back to the cockpit.

The desert world was looming in the viewport. A vast section of it was stained green and blue, an artificial oasis on a grand scale.

The _Millennium Falcon_ dipped into Cantonica's atmosphere.


	9. The Canto Bight Imbroglio

**The** **_New Hope_ **

The sheet of metal lifted off of C-3PO and fell to the ground beside him. Leia lowered her hand.

"Thank heavens, Mistress Leia," Threepio said as he clambered stiffly to his feet. "I thought I was going to be trapped forever."

Leia brushed cinders off of his golden chassis. "And I thought I'd lost you for good this time. But I guess you'll probably outlive me."

"Perish the thought, Mistress Leia. A galaxy without you isn't one I have any interest in."

"Oh, I bet you say that to all the ladies."

"I am only following my programming, of course. Service to your family is my primary function. If only I knew why that was. I could swear I was _gifted_ to your family by someone, but I haven't the faintest idea by who."

"Threepio?"

"Oh dear. I am rambling. I must have taken more damage than I first thought. How may I be of service?"

The Resistance members down the hall threw up a ragged cheer as they got the lights working.

"That's one deck down," Leia said. "Threepio, we're having trouble getting the computers back online. All the data is corrupted. Think you can make sense of it?"

"Why, of course. I am quite fluent in binary code and associated programming languages. In fact my first duty after being built was programming binary loadlifters. And I also recall spending time in a desert of some sort around the same time. How unusual."

"Uh-huh. We already have a droid working on it. Between the two of you you should be able to crack it."

"Now, Mistress Leia, I have no need of assistance from some strange droid-"

"General Organa," Caluan Ematt, the grizzled Galactic Civil War veteran in charge of ground operations, called.

"Get to work, Threepio." Leia pointed at a sleek, silver plated droid working at a control panel. "That's General Organa-Solo," Leia said as she went over to Ematt. "I'm a married woman."

"Greetings," Threepio said as he approached the other droid. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. Please stand aside. I am fluent in over six million forms of communication. I shall resolve this issue shortly."

"Hi," the other droid said in pleasing, low, feminine tones. "I'm Aserati. Diplomatic envoy of the G0-T0 sphericity of sector 400100500260026. I am fluent in thirteen million forms of communication. I would suggest you find a museum to bed down in, relic. I have the situation in hand."

"Oh," Threepio said. "Oh dear."

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"Vice Admiral Holdo," General Hux said to the woman on the holoprojector. "Are you the Republic's official representative?"

"For the moment. What can we do for the First Order? Do you have any upcoming acts of genocide you'd like to schedule?"

"Oh, I won't be speaking to you. I have far better things to be doing. No, the First Order has brought it's best negotiator."

The door slid open and Kylo Ren entered the room.

Hux muted the holoprojector.

"We only have a short time before we reach the _Conqueror_ ," Hux said.

"More time than I'll need."

"Are we still expecting hostiles?"

"Yes. The Resistance will be there. This is where we finish them once and for all."

"I'll leave you to..." An expression of disgust came over Hux's face. " _Negotiate_." 

He left.

Kylo unmuted the holoprojector, "Vice Admiral Holdo. Let's talk about peace."

Canto Bight. A bejeweled scar of silver and cobbled stone and malignant growths of lush green upon Cantonica's arid surface. The landspeeders purred like a tame Nexu against a warm hand and shone with polished chromium under the light of the artificially dimmed sun. Solar-sailed ships took to the rivers flowing down to the sea. There was a light on in every window and money changing hands on every street corner and alley. The clothes came expensive and the alcohol flowed cheap.

Rey and Finn, for their part, hadn't stopped staring at things since they had left the _Falcon_.

"Can we try not to look so much like tourists?" Poe said.

"I've never seen a city before," Rey said defensively.

"Neither have I," Finn added.

"Look at that," Rey said, leaving off from following BB-8 and going towards a food stand. "They just _sell food_. Right out in the open. And it smells good."

"Real good," Finn said. "Rey, I think we made it. This is heaven."

They looked at each other. They looked back at Poe.

"Hey, Poe, old buddy. We don't have any money," Finn said.

Poe sighed. He handed over a handful of credits.

"Finn, they have water in _bottles_ ," Rey was saying.

Poe's head fell into his hands. "The Resistance is doomed," he muttered.

Chewbacca kept a careful distance away from them in an attempt to make the group less conspicuous.

"This place is strange," Rey said between bites of food as they walked.

"I know. I've never seen so many aliens," Finn said.

"I don't mean that. I mean how it feels. Everyone's happy. I can't even tell there's a war on. "

"For these people, there probably isn't," Poe said. "It's just like in the Core. Nobody cares."

BB-8 twittered at them from up ahead.

"Does he know where he's going?" Rey stuffed several bottles of water into her pack while she spoke.

"He better, because I sure don't. The identities of Resistance contacts are our most closely guarded secret. The Princess has droids store the names."

"Why do you have to be so secretive? The First Order can't have spies everywhere, can they?"

Poe glanced at Finn. "We don't really know. But even if they don't, anyone on any planet might turn our people in."

"Why would they do that? I don't get it."

"Believe me, Rey, I don't get it either."

Across the street, a woman narrowed her eyes. The rotating circuitry implanted in her irises lit up, highlighting Finn's face in her vision.

"FN-2187 sighted," she said into the commlink in her collar. "The Traitor has been sighted."

In an outdoor market across town, a human couple examined a stand of fruit. They both placed a hand to their respective ears. They waved to their friends and left swiftly. They ducked into an alley and opened their backpacks. The plastoid of First Order armor glinted inside.

"This is Agents Cresh and Dorn reporting in," the man said. "We're on our way."

"Want to catch dinner at the Casino after this?" the woman said conversationally as she slipped bracers over her wrists. "I hear the Modal Nodes are having a comeback tour. I know they are non-human scum but... I'm a fan."

"Anything for you, dear."

They kissed swiftly. Then they put their helmets on.

The bartender put down the glass right in the middle of the story.

"Excuse me, gents," he slipped into the back. He opened a cask of wine and pulled out the disassembled sniper rifle inside. He began putting it together with practiced motions.

"Agent Cherek reporting," he said.

"This week, Agent Cherek?" the response came.

"Soon, control." he began loading polished bronzium slugs into the weapon, one by one. "You can't rush art."

The woman slipped out of the tangle of sheets. She pawed through the pile of clothing on the floor.

"It's too early for this," she grumbled as she got her clothes on, and then the bracers and boots and helmet.

"It's dusk, Agent Leth," Control said.

"Same difference," she muttered.

"Hang on," the man on the other side of the bed, a minor noble from Falleen as it happened, said sleepily. "What do I owe you?"

"Owe me? I'm not a- ugh." she produced a blaster pistol and shot him. "Scum," she said to the corpse. "Remind me to seduce a human next time."

"We all appreciate your sacrifice, Agent Leth. Are you on your way?"

"Just need to clean up the scene of the crime," She dropped an incendiary grenade on the floor. She left as the room went up in flames.

Silvery colonnades cast long shadows across the mezzanine as Cantonica's primary dipped into the sea.

"Keep up, you two," Poe called from ahead.

Rey and Finn ignored him.

"This is beautiful," Rey said. She dangled her hand between herself and Finn.

Finn looked at the hand. He clearly had no idea what to do with it.

As they came out into the street, a landspeeder swerved in front of them, briefly skidding against the curbside before halting itself.

"Idiot!" Rey shouted, kicking the vehicle on the fender before it could drive away.

By the time the landspeeder got off the pedwalk, Poe had been lost in the crowd.

Rey and Finn exchanged glances.

"Shortcut," Finn pointed at a narrow alleyway between two buildings. "Poe was going that way," and under his breath, "I think."

They entered the alley.

Agent Cresh and Agent Dorn waited a careful distance behind them. Once the two targets were out of sight, they entered the alley behind them.

"This feels more like home," Rey said, kicking something dark and rotten out of her way.

"Rey," Finn said quietly. "Don't look behind us."

"Well, that's a stupid thing to say. Now I want to look behind us."

"Seriously. It's the First Order."

Rey looked over her shoulder anyway at the two figures, each wearing a long coat over dull brown and grey armor plates. "Those two don't look like stormtroopers to me."

"That's the point. Deep infiltration armor. Those are First Order spies."

"There's only two," Rey whispered. "Let's take them out."

"There's never just two. They must have a whole operation going on here. We just walked into a First Order stealth takeover of the whole planet. These things can take years to complete."

"I'm taking them," Rey said, hand going to her pack, where her lightsaber was hidden.

"Rey, no," Finn hissed.

Rey spun, other hand on her holstered EL-16.

She walked right into the raised baton of Agent Dorn, who had contrived to appear silently behind her. Rey took the blow right to the head. She staggered, falling to her knees. Dorn kicked the pack away.

Agent Cresh's and Finn's blasters left their holsters and sighted up at the same time.

"Put it down, traitor," Cresh said. "We have orders to bring you in alive."

"Let's talk this over, man. I was wearing one of those buckets on my head not too long ago."

"You lost the right to speak when you perpetrated two separate terrorist attacks on the First Order, scum."

"I was just trying to get out. Got tired of being told to kill innocent folks. They always tell us we're supposed to be fighting for some great cause, but all I saw was a whole lot of death."

"It's not your place, or mine, to question the First Order."

"Stop engaging with him, dear," Dorn said. "He always talks to them," she added to Rey.

"Ugh," Rey replied, hand to her head. Her other hand was extended, subtly, towards her pack.

"Listen, I know what you're doing on this planet." Finn said. "Deep infiltration, right? Probably got your training on Daermor under Commander Echo in the TK division. You've been spending the last few months making friends you're gonna stab in the back and building a life you're gonna burn when you're done with it. That's not what they told us being a stormtrooper is all about. We're supposed to be liberating people, not shooting them down."

"Revolutions are built on bodies, traitor. Just ask the Rebels."

Rey's pack began to slide slowly towards her waiting hand. Dorn didn't notice.

"I don't really care about any of that. I just want to be a normal guy," Finn said. "You two have been out here in the real world. Do you really want to go back?"

"The ground is covered in filth and the wind smells like alien sweat. I'll take a nice antiseptic starship over that any day."

"It's pretty weird for me, too. But all it is is dirt and fresh air. I think I can get used to it. I bet you two already are. You're a real couple, right? That's how they prefer it. Easier to play the part that way."

"Yes, we are," Cresh said stiffly.

"That's none of his business, dear," Dorn said. "Stun him. Now."

"One moment."

Rey's pack came to her hand. She reached inside, closed her hand over the hilt of her lightsaber. Finn looked over. He shook his head minimally. Rey looked between him and the stormtroopers. Her hand tightened over the hilt. She looked back at him. She relaxed her grip.

"Listen, at least one of you is gonna get shot here," Finn said. "If these Resistance blasters have a stun setting, I don't know how to use it. One of you is going to die, and all you get out of it is me. I'm not worth that, and neither is she. Just let us walk and you'll never see either of us again."

"Shoot him now, dear," Dorn said.

"Elana..." Cresh turned his helmeted head towards her.

"Don't use my cover name. Please shoot him."

"It's the only name you have. You said you wanted to go see the Modal Nodes tonight. You wouldn't want to go alone."

"This isn't the time for this conversation, dear," she hissed.

"We're supposed to go over to the Tomerlins' for dinner tomorrow."

"Dear, please. You're embarrassing us."

"I have as little desire to torture that couple for information and kill them as you do. They bought us a housewarming speeder when we arrived here."

"If you two want some privacy, we can just go," Finn said.

"Stay right where you are," Dorn snapped. "Dear, I appreciate your sensitivity, but this isn't our life. This is all a mission."

"Yes, yes, fine. But we cannot continue the mission if one of us is dead. We're a team. And this traitor and his grimy associate aren't the mission. Can we just go home, dear?"

"Home is the First Order, dear. But I understand. I'll shoot him myself." Dorn unholstered her blaster and took aim at Finn.

Finn turned his own blaster on her.

"C'mon, guys. I really don't want to do this," he said.

Cresh looked between the blaster and Dorn.

"Wait. Don't shoot. Either of you. He has something to tell you," Rey said. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

"Shut up, scum," Dorn said.

"Tell her." Rey said calmly. "It's okay. She won't be mad."

"What's she talking about?" Dorn snapped, turning to Cresh.

"Well..." he looked at the ground, lowering his blaster in the process.

"Well, what? Just spit it out."

"I intended to... tonight that is... to... erm... Propose. Marriage, that is."

"Oh," Dorn said. She lowered her own blaster. "That is unexpected."

"It was a stupid idea."

"It... would do wonders for our cover. A wedding, I mean."

"It would? Are you saying yes?"

"For the purposes of the mission-"

"She means yes," Rey interrupted. "Enthusiastically."

Dorn looked over at Rey. "That one is Force sensitive. We should call that in."

"Later, dear," Cresh said.

"Later," Dorn agreed. "Much later." she nodded down the alley. "Both of you, get out of-"

Two blaster shots rang out in the narrow alley, one after the other.

Agents Cresh and Dorn dropped to the ground, one after the other.

Poe stood at the end of the alley, blaster raised to his shoulder.

"Good job keeping them talking. What were they going on about, anyway?" Poe retracted his EL-16's stock and reholstered it. "Come on, you two. BB-8 says he found our contact. If the First Order is here we don't have much time." he left the alley, waving at them to follow.

Rey and Finn looked at each other. They looked down at the two bodies.

After a while, they followed Poe.

The Starfall Casino sat upon an artificial plateau of underground markets and bazaars. In its sprawling electrically lit shadow was an array of docks made to support both space and water ships.

"What are you supposed to be?" the door droid said, holding up a hand. "The homeless and destitute are not allowed on these premises."

"I'll have you know-" Rey began, advancing on the droid.

Chewbacca beat her to it. He roared extensively right into the droid's face.

"I see," the droid said stepping back hastily. "Come right in." it stood to the side.

They joined the flow of patrons entering and exiting the building.

The floors were plated in gold and covered in carpet thicker and plusher than a fleece throw. Holographic displays glittered over every table and dice and cards of every kind rolled and changed hands.

A throng of beings of every race Rey could name and many more she couldn't jostled for space, spilled drinks, shouted expletives and generally made a racket.

The combined scents of a thousand different blends of exotic and expensive perfumes gave the place the smell of a garden in full bloom. The clothing of an average patron cost more, Rey was certain, than she had made in a lifetime of hauling scrap.

Chewie balked at the crowd and waited by the entrance.

BB-8 rolled gamely through the forest of legs he was presented with. He seemed to know exactly where he was going.

Rey, Finn and Poe trailed him through the crowd of beings.

BB-8 led them to higher and higher class areas of the casino floor. The chits being won and lost at every table left the thousands and entered the millions.

BB-8 went right for the table at the end of the room. It was set higher than the others and plated in Electrum. A large crowd surrounded it, all of them raptly watching the every move of the man at the head of the table and hanging on his every word.

"That guy?" Poe asked BB-8. "Really? Are you sure?"

BB-8 gave an offended whistle.

"Okay, okay. Don't get so defensive."

They approached the table.

The man held a hand of shimmering cards that seemed to change face and number at random. He looked intently at his hand. He rotated his gaze impassively, meeting the eye of the other players. One gulped visibly. Another wiped sweat from his forehead. A third folded immediately.

The man laid his cards down.

"Pure Sabacc," the man said triumphantly. The crowd erupted into cheers, while the other players hung their heads and handed over a fortune each.

Poe, Rey and Finn finally managed to shoulder their way through the press of bodies. They approached the man.

A short distance away, a woman with glittering circuitry covering half her scalp took a step forward. The man gestured at her and she relaxed. He looked the three of them over.

"Well, well, well," Lando Calrissian said. "What have we here?

"We're with the-" Poe began.

Lando brushed past him without a second glance.

"Madame," he said, taking Rey's hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles. "I have seen Angels from the moons of Iego who were less radiant. Please, join me for some refreshments."

"Oh," Rey said, reddening.

"Your friends can join us if they have to. This way." Lando led them off the main floor to what was evidently his private lounge. The cyborg woman trailed behind them.

"Sit, please." Lando gestured at a set of cushions surrounding a military grade holoprojector. "What can I offer you, madame? We have Corellian brandy, Andorian ale-"

"Do you have water?" Rey said.

"We have the finest water in the system," Lando said without blinking. He nodded at the woman and she keyed something into a terminal in the corner.

"Listen," Poe said, "We're with the-"

"Cartarian Mining Guild, yes." Lando interrupted. He glanced over at the woman again. She shook her head minimally. "Allow me to extend our hospitality. We weren't expecting your arrival, but we are more than prepared to accommodate the Guild's needs."

Poe, Finn and Rey looked at each other, clearly trying to parse what he was trying to tell them.

"Who are you, again?" Poe said.

"Lando Calrissian. I'm a significant investor in this fine establishment. Not the owner, of course. I learned my lesson regarding responsibility a long time ago. Never be the man in charge if you can help it. Less work and a lot more fun."

"I don't think you understand-"

"I understand intimately."

The door slid open and a droid bearing a tray rolled in. Lando took the glass of water and handed it to Rey. The cyborg woman, meanwhile, took a device from the tray and took it over to the terminal.

"Ice included," Lando said.

"Wow," Rey said, holding the glass up to the light.

"As you can see, we have every service you could imagine. Supplies, communication systems, even a private security force. All available for a reasonable price."

"What price is that?" Poe said.

"That's for you to name and me to shake my head at, young man. Shall we haggle?"

"I'm not much of a negotiator," Poe said.

"I'm aware. Perhaps the Guild should have sent one."

"The... Guild is short handed."

"Evidently." Lando glanced over at the woman.

She held up a finger.

"In addition to the services here at the Casino, you'll find Canto Bight to be an oasis of business. Look here," Lando brought up a screen on the holoprojector. "The Bounty Board. Completely self operating. From here all you have to do is put in the service required and a reasonable compensation, and professionals from around the city may choose to take up the job. All completely legal. It's one of the smartest business models I've ever come across."

"Is this guy on the level?" Finn whispered to Rey

"Hm?" Rey looked up from her glass of water. "Oh, he's trustworthy."

Lando looked at Rey more closely, "A shrewd judge of character, that one." He glanced over at the cyborg woman again. She shook her head. Lando spread his arms, clearly exasperated. She shrugged and kept working.

"Allow me to introduce Guri. Despite her appearance, she's completely artificial. A Human Replica Droid," Lando said.

"A what?" Finn said.

"Not new technology. Older than me, in fact. That explains why her processing speeds are so _slow_." Lando shot her a significant look. The droid frowned back at him. She went to work at the terminal with renewed speed. She gave him a thumbs up.

"About time," Lando muttered. "We're in the clear now. You never know who's listening. So tell me, Commander Dameron, what can I do for the Resistance?"

"You know who I am?" Poe said.

"Of course I..." Lando trailed off. "Do... you not know who I am?"

"Should I?"

"I'm general Calrissian. Hero of the Battle of Taanab. I blew up the Second Death Star."

"Wasn't that Luke Skywalker?"

"Yeah, definitely was," Finn said.

"Are you listening to this, Guri?" Lando said. She shrugged uncaringly. "Anyway, what are you doing here? I expected Resistance operatives, not a pilot and... whoever those other two are."

"We don't have a lot of options. The Resistance is in trouble. The fleet was hit hard. Might be gone. We're trying to contact the Republic."

"The Republic doesn't care about the war. That's why the Resistance was formed in the first place."

"We have to try something." Rey said.

"I'll see what I can do." Lando said. "I still have friends in high places. And better yet, in low ones. But it's going to take time."

"We don't really have time. We need to get to the secondary rendezvous and see if there's anyone left to help."

"Guri, set them up with all the medical supplies we have on hand. Don't worry, kids. This war isn't half over yet. Count on it."

"If you're really a general, what are you doing here?" Rey asked while Guri procured the supplies.

"You wound me, my dear. Of course I'm really a general. Or I was. I resigned my commission after the Rebellion. But I still help out when I can."

"In a casino?"

"Where else? This is where all the funding for your little war comes from."

"Little?"

"Look at this." Lando brought up a star chart on the holoprojector. "See these systems here?"

"There's so many," Rey breathed. 

"Not so fast. These are the systems directly affected by the war. Those red ones are under First Order control. Now look at this." Lando pressed a button and the map zoomed out. The highlighted areas resolved into specks on the galaxy map, scattered across sections of space labeled the Outer Rim and the Unknown Regions. "The First Order was founded somewhere in the Unknown Regions, and for the most part, thanks to the Resistance, it's stayed there. This war doesn't directly affect most of the galaxy except in one way. And that's the money they make off of it. Where do you think all those X-wings and TIE fighters come from? A lot of them come from people like the ones out there gambling."

"Are you saying both sides buy their weapons from the same people? Who would fund the First Order?"

"Just about everyone. Here at this casino, I do my best to take their money from them and make sure it gets to the good guys. You can win a war a lot of ways. This is mine."

Rey looked at Lando closely, squinting slightly. "You're a good man." she decided.

"Nonsense. You have no idea how much money I've made off this little enterprise."

"You're doing more than some people," Rey muttered.

"Hey, Lando," Finn said.

"Yeah, kid?"

"We ran into First Order operatives on the way here. They have an operation set up here."

"I know all about that. Ah, here's Guri."

The droid returned with a pile of crates in her arms that must have weighed twice as much as she did. She set them down lightly. She handed a data chip to Lando.

"These are my contacts in the Republic. I'll have them on their way as fast as a little blackmail possibly..." Lando trailed off. "Wait, you said you _ran into_ the First Order?"

"Yeah, a few streets down," Poe said. "We took care of them."

"And you _came here_?"

"Yeah. Why-"

"Guri, security sweep. Prep my shuttle for launch," Lando said over top of him. "We're going to have to leave these supplies behind. You kids armed?"

"Of course we are. What are you-"

"You led them right to me." Lando ran over to the holoprojector and slid a data card out of it. "This has a high powered transponder on it. Leia and Han both have one as well. You can find them with this." he tossed it to Rey. "You keep an eye on that, my dear."

"Lando, about Han-" Rey began.

"Hostiles detected," Guri said.

"How many?" Lando said.

"Based on my calculations: Lots."

"Oh, that's so helpful, Guri. Why again did I pay so much for you?"

"For my grasp of pointing out the obvious." she tapped at the holoprojector and brought up the Bounty Board. Rey, Poe, Finn and Lando's faces were plastered across the screen.

"Oh, son of a Gundark," Lando muttered. "Since when were the bad guys smart? Get ready, kids. There's about a dozen Bounty Hunters outside who just got paid to kill us. And I bet there's more on the way."

On the casino floor, a dozen notification devices began beeping. A dozen heads looked down.

Then the weapons started coming out.

Aphrodite Silk slipped the needle-like hairpins out of her hair and snapped them open into bladed fans.

Blzzud unfolded his stomach cavity and pulled out a scatter gun.

Jon Antilles, a human, placed his hat upon his head and unholstered his two WESTAR-68 blaster pistols.

The Nikto Jereek Plain deployed his stokhli spray stick.

Zanart Qwell powered up the weapon systems on his silver, filigreed, armor.

Udeses hissed green gas from the vent in his face mask.

Amund the Everliving extended its arm mounted blaster cannons.

"Listen up." Agent Cherek said as he and Agent Leth swept into the room. "You all work for us now. Where is Calrissian?"

A patron pointed at the door to the lounge.

"Well, what am I paying for? Get him!" Cherek said.

The Bounty Hunters advanced.

Amund the Everliving fired its cannon at the door.

The door to the lounge blew inwards.

Rey, Poe and Finn pulled out their blasters. Lando dived for the holoprojector.

"What are you doing? We have to get out of here," Rey said.

Blaster fire lanced in through the open doorway.

"Saving the day," Lando snapped. "Just cover me."

Poe and Finn fired blind out of the door.

Rey reached into her pack.

"I'd suggest keeping what you have in there to yourself," Lando said even as he typed.

"How do you-"

"Trust me. Only seen a few people with that look in their eye, my dear. I know a Jedi when I see one. But if the bad guys know, that bounty on you is going to get a lot bigger."

Lando ducked as a blaster bolt flew over his head.

"Hurry up," Poe said, hugging the door frame as the walls rattled from the gun fire.

"Just about done," Lando said.

There was a break in the blaster fire. Then a thermal detonator rolled into the room.

All of them threw themselves out of the doorway onto the casino floor. And into the teeth of the Bounty Hunter's weapons.

The detonator exploded behind them, sending flame and cinder washing out of the doorway.

Guri grabbed the nearest table and flipped it over, giving them cover. The table's metal casing rattled as blaster bolts pounded into it.

In the bar in the adjoining room, Chewbacca lifted his head at the sound of blasterfire. He unslung his bowcaster.

Agent Cherek raised his sniper rifle to his shoulder and looked down the sights.

"Do you have a shot?" Agent Leth said.

"You'll know when I do. Let the scum do the grunt work."

Lando pulled a holdout blaster from his boot and fired over the table.

Zanart Qwell took the shot to his filigreed silver chestplate, knocking him to the floor.

Poe and Finn fired from either side. The Bounty Hunters scattered for cover, taking up positions behind overturned tables and fountains.

"Shall I deal with this?" Guri said. "I can eliminate seventy percent of the hostiles before I suffer fatal damage."

"Let's call that plan B," Lando said. "We're all getting out of here if I can help it."

"What's the plan?" Finn said.

A wrist rocket from Jon Antilles blew away half the table in a hail of metal fragments.

"I put a job on the Bounty Board," Lando said. "'Get us out of here alive', I called it."

" _That's_ the plan? More Bounty Hunters?" Poe said, aghast. "How is _that_ a plan?"

"I don't see you having any brilliant ideas, kid."

The hulking reptilian Sorgar hefted his vibro-broadsword and prepared to charge. Before he could, a large hand clamped down on his shoulder. He tried to pull away. He found he couldn't. He turned to see a Wookiee at the end of the arm. Chewbacca yanked Sorgar around the corner.

The rest of the table blew away under fire from Amund the Everliving's cannon.

"My dear, what I said about your weapon-" Lando said.

"I've got this," Rey said. She pulled her lightsaber from her pack and activated it.

The blaster fire let up for a moment, every eye drawn to the blue blade.

Then they all started shooting at her.

"Go!" Rey shouted as she spun her blade through a defensive velocity.

The others ran for it, keeping behind the tables.

Ray caught the first shot on her lightsaber. It was far more forceful than the training drone's bolts. The shock vibrated up her arm. She stumbled back a step as she deflected the second. She missed the third entirely, and only dumb luck spared her as it shot past her shoulder. She tried closing her eyes. She deflected another shot. She also stumbled blindly over a piece of rubble on the floor. She fell.

"Rey!" Finn shouted, making to run out of cover.

Guri grabbed him by the arm and pushed him down effortlessly. "I was built for this," she said and ran for Rey.

Rey blocked another few blaster bolts from her back.

As her fellow Bounty Hunters fired their various weapons with abandon, Aphrodite Silk removed a throwing vibro-knife from her dress's synthsilk bandolier with exquisite care and lined it up on Rey. She threw it with a crisp flick of her wrist. It spun beautifully right for the center of Rey's forehead. It might well have embedded there if Guri hadn't reached her and stuck her arm right in the blade's path. It hit her forearm with a dull thunk, sinking in up to the hilt. The droid didn't flinch.

"You couldn't even imagine how bad the odds of us making it out of this are," Guri said.

"I'm getting an idea," Rey said. Then she shoved the droid both with her arms and an ample bit of the Force. They flew apart just as a shot from Amund the Everliving's cannon hit the ground right where they had been, burning a crater into the floor.

"How's that plan coming along?" Poe demanded as the chair he was crouched behind was thoroughly riddled with blaster bolts. He dived for fresh cover, firing blindly over his shoulder.

"Turns out the First Order has a lot of credits to its name," Lando said calmly, firing over a table with one hand while checking the Bounty Board on his wrist device with the other. "They have me rather out bid."

"How did the Rebellion ever survive with plans like this?" Finn said.

Lando ducked down behind the table as a sharp crack echoed even over the sound of blaster fire. A chunk of the table was blown away a scant few centimeters from where Lando's head had been.

"Damn," Agent Cherek said, reloading his slugthrower and lining up another shot.

"They have the exits covered," Poe said. He made to move to another table. The table in question detonated under what looked to have been a shot from something on the scale of a military missile launcher. "And we're running out of cover. I'm not sure we're making it out of this, buddy."

"Rey will get us out," Finn said, ducking down beside him.

Rey for her part, fumbled with her lightsaber as she ran for cover herself. There were far more blaster bolts flying around than she could possibly deflect.

"Right. Looks like she's got this," Poe said drily.

Suddenly Lando's wrist device let out a beep.

"Someone took the job." Lando announced. He put a shot into Amund the Everliving's chest. It didn't flinch.

Poe and Finn looked around.

"I'm not seeing anyone," Finn shouted over the blaster fire.

"Trust me," Lando said. "I know what I'm doing. Whoever took this job has to be completely insane."

"Finish this," Agent Cherek ordered the Bounty Hunters. "They have nowhere to go. Rush them."

Agent Leth held up a hand. "Hear that?" she said.

Agent Cherek paused and listened.

There was a faint rumbling sound, something like a starship engine except either very far away or very small. This was followed by a whistling noise vaguely reminiscent of something falling very fast from a significant height.

Cherek, along with everyone else in the room, turned their attention to the skylight.

The noise grew louder.

Something hit the skylight a moment later, shattering it. The something hit the floor hard, landing in a crouch. It seemed to be a person. It stood.

"Hit the deck," Boba Fett said.

Then he swept the room with his flamethrower.

Three of the Bounty Hunters were caught in the flames. The rest dived for cover.

"I'd recommend running," Fett said.

The Bounty Hunters, all nine of them, went at Fett.

He unholstered his EE-3. He ignited his jetpack, firing with one hand as he was boosted forward. He drove his armored fist into Jereek Plain, knocking the man off his feet and sending him skidding across the floor. He put a shot into Amund the Everliving's chest, rocking it back on its heels. A blaster bolt hit Fett in the shoulder. Sparks flew from his armor. Fett threw out his arm, firing a fibercord whip from his gauntlet around Udeses' neck. Fett jetted upward, pulling the cord taught. There was a sharp crack and the Bounty Hunter fell limp. Fett cut off his pack and dropped straight down, bringing his fist and the full weight of his Mandalorian armor down on Blzzud's jaw, dropping the alien to the ground. Fett yanked Udeses' corpse to him, holding it to him like a shield as blaster bolts rained down on him. Fett fired over the body's shoulder, putting a hole through another Bounty Hunter's head. Fett jammed something into the body and shoved it at Amund the Everliving. The explosive dart detonated a moment later, blowing the creature off its feet.

Fett dropped into a crouch as Zanart Qwell swept the room with a straight cutting laser fired from his silver gauntlet. The beam sliced cleanly through everything it touched, sending columns falling halved to the ground and scoring burns into the walls. Fett shot Qwell's knees out and stood smoothly, firing a wrist rocket at Jon Antilles. Antilles threw himself into a roll. The rocket hit the wall behind him, blowing a hole in it.

"That way," Fett barked at Lando.

Lando and the others ran for the hole.

Blaster bolts blazed between Fett and Jon Antilles. Antilles weaved and rolled between cover, long coat billowing behind him, while Fett took the shots on his armor. Fett turned, letting go of his rifle with one hand and bringing his arm up to parry Aphrodite Silk's fan blade on his gauntlet in a shower of sparks. Amund the Everliving climbed to its feet and ran at Fett. He swung his arm around, putting shots into its chest as it charged. Puffs of vaporized embalming fluid rose from its armored flesh as the bolts hit. The creature didn't slow. Fett shoved Aphrodite Silk back a step, took his rifle in both hands and slammed the stock square into her face, knocking her to the floor. Fett spun on his heel, dipping under Amund the Everliving's punch and activating his jetpack in a controlled burst, boosting himself behind the charging beast. Fett unloaded his rifle point blank into its exposed back with one hand, opened up with his wrist flamethrower with the other, bathing the creature in flames. It whipped around, trailing flames, and fired both its arm cannons point blank at Fett. He threw himself to the ground, catching himself on knees and one hand. Fett braced that hand firmly. He fired his jetpack's missile right into Amund the Everliving's chest. The explosion blew the creature off its feet, sent it flying into the wall, then through the wall with a crash and a hail of rubble.

Fett stood. He found himself facing Agent Cherek across the rubble strewn room. They stared at each other, impassive mask to impassive mask. Then they both took the shot.

Cherek's sniper rifle boomed first. The slug caught Fett cleanly on the head. He dropped.

"That takes care of that," Cherek said to Agent Leth.

Fett, meanwhile, stood up. He pulled the slug from where it had embedded in his helmet. He dropped it to the floor with a _ping._ "My turn," he said. He shot Cherek in the head. The blaster bolt burned through his helmet. He didn't get back up.

Leth ran at Fett, firing her sidearm while her other hand unsheathed her vibroblade. Fett took the shots without flinching. He caught her wrist before she could drive the blade into his neck. Then he slammed his helmeted head into hers. Leth's helmet cracked like an egg and she went down.

There was a _boom_ and the reptilian Sorgar slid around the corner, thoroughly unconscious. Chewbacca followed, brushing a bit of rubble off of his shoulder. He surveyed the room. The surviving Bounty Hunters seemed to have made themselves scarce.

"Chewbacca," Fett said evenly.

Chewbacca growled at him.

"Tell your friends they owe me one," Fett said.

Chewbacca nodded.

They went their separate ways.

"Chewie!" Lando called as the Wookiee caught up to them outside. "Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

Chewie barked at him.

"You're right, we can talk later. Can you guys make it to your ship?"

"BB-8 knows the way," Poe said. "You... uh... know the way, right?"

BB-8 beeped affirmatively.

The crowds in the markets surrounding the casino parted in places as armored figures forced their way through. More Deep Infiltration Agents, as well as Bounty Hunters.

"Get moving. I'll have the Republic on the way as soon as I can," Lando said. "May the Force be with you. Especially you, young lady."

Lando and Guri ran into the crowd.

"Let's go," Poe said. They ran in the opposite direction.

Agent Leth staggered to her feet. "Control," she said. "A Jedi has been sighted. Recommend a class one breach of conduct. We need to set this entire city on fire if we have to."

"Recommendation noted and confirmed, Agent Leth. All forces, you have permission to fire at will. Civilian casualties are of no concern. Kill that Jedi."

Blaster fire began lancing through the streets of Canto Bight. The crowds scattered and Landspeeders swerved as First Order spies began opening fire on the fleeing quartet. Explosions followed as the Bounty Hunters still on their tail unleashed their weaponry.

Rey dropped back to the rear of the group, deflecting any shots that made it past the narrow alley walls and fleeing pedestrians.

The spaceport, and the _Millennium Falcon_ , loomed ahead. Chewbacca lowered the ramp as blaster fire rained down around them, pinging off the hull and sizzling on Rey's lightsaber. Poe and Finn began returning fire as the ramp slowly came down. Chewie banged on the lowering mechanism and barked at it, clearly hoping to scare it into going faster.

Finn and Poe picked off two Agents before they changed tactics and began grabbing civilians to use as living shields.

"Scum," Rey muttered as the Agents fired over the civilians shoulders.

The ramp came down.

Chewbacca barked at them. Poe and Finn ran aboard while Rey stayed on the ramp, feet planted solidly and blade buzzing before her.

"BB-8, get to the engines and make sure this heap of junk can get off the ground," Poe ordered as he ran for the cockpit. 

Chewie growled at him.

"Sorry, sir. It pays to be careful," Poe said. "Finn, get on a gun turret."

Poe and Chewbacca reached the cockpit while Finn ran for the top turret.

"Rey, ramp going up!" Poe called down the hall.

Rey backed up as the ramp ascended. The ship shook under the barrage of blaster bolts hitting the hull.

Chewbacca dropped the _Falcon's_ anti-personnel turret from the ship's underbelly, sending volleys of suppressing fire streaking at the Agents.

Poe fired the _Falcon's_ engines. They blazed blue as the freighter lifted off, tearing away docking clamps in the process. The _Falcon_ shot into the air.

Meanwhile, a hover-gondola was resting peacefully on the river flowing through Canto Bight's cobbled streets. The water around the craft began to surge violently, churning and glowing a lambent red. Something was coming out of the depths. The boat flipped over as a TIE fighter rose slowly from beneath the water, up from its underwater moorings. In other rivers around the city, other TIEs were rising as well.

All of them streaked after the _Falcon_.

"We have company!" Poe called as laser cannon fire filled the air.

He brought the _Falcon_ down sharply to avoid the brunt of the laser fire, taking them into Canto Bight's skyline. Buildings whipped past tightly on either side.

Rey ran into the cockpit.

"Give me the controls," she snapped.

"Not a chance-" Poe cut off as he whipped the _Falcon_ around a street corner, taking out a glow lamp post in passing. Laser fire struck the street, blasting landspeeders to pieces and throwing up shards of rubble.

Finn spun up the quad laser cannons, returning fire.

Poe kicked the ships thrusters, sending the _Falcon_ shooting up vertically along a skyscraper's transparisteel face. It's underbelly scraped along the building's surface.

"You're flying her all wrong." Rey said even as she was thrown back against the wall.

"Make yourself useful and get to the other turret," Poe snapped.

Laser fire slammed into the ship's rear.

"Damn it," Poe brought the _Falcon_ around towards a looming temple. He put the ship on its side with a kick of the thrusters. He was trying to go between the temples spires. It was a tight fit. Too tight in fact. The hull groaned and something broke off and bounced down the building.

"She isn't a fighter. You can't make maneuvers like that," Rey snapped.

"I've been blowing TIE fighters out of the sky since before you were-"

"Then why don't you get in the turret and _blow up the TIEs_?" Rey said.

Poe was quiet for a moment. "That's a good point." 

"I thought so."

"Damn good point," Poe muttered. "Ready?"

"Ready," Rey said.

Poe let go of the controls as the _Falcon_ came out past the temple into open air. Rey slipped smoothly into the pilot's seat as Poe ran for the lower turret.

Rey immediately took the _Falcon_ towards the sea. She skimmed low over the water. Laser fire from the TIEs sent plumes of water splashing down over the ship.

"You ready down there?" Rey called.

"Ready," Poe said.

"I'm ready too," Finn said. He continued firing and missing.

"You'll have a shot in five, Poe," Rey called. "Finn... keep up the good work."

"Will do," Finn said.

One of the TIEs lined up a proton torpedo on the _Falcon_.

Rey pushed down on the stick. The _Falcon_ dove into the sea.

The TIE's targeting systems lost contact for a moment.

"Five!" Rey called.

She brought the _Falcon_ straight up out of the sea, its underbelly, and Poe's turret, facing the incoming TIEs.

Poe fired, precisely, five times. Five TIEs hit the water in flaming wrecks.

"We're clear. Take us out of here," Poe called up to the cockpit.

Rey pointed the _Falcon_ at the sky and punched the thrusters.

Rey fitted the transponder Lando had given them into the ship's navicomputer. A point lit up on the star chart. There was a signal. Rey smiled at Chewbacca. "They're still alive. Let's go get them."

The _Falcon_ jumped to lightspeed.


	10. True Love

**The** **_New Hope_ **

Admiral Ackbar's voice echoed over the scratchy hiss of the ship-wide comm.

"Attention all hands. As of now this craft is as operational as it is ever going to be."

On the engineering deck, fuel cells were hauled out and transported by hand to the escape shuttles.

"We're leaving enough fuel in the tanks for one last jump. Either we make it to that Star Destroyer, or we don't make it at all."

In the armory, Resistance soldiers slotted power cells into blaster rifles and strapped munitions to their belts.

"All personnel trained in close quarters engagements report to the shuttle bay. You will be the first ones to board. We expect heavy resistance. Non-combatants will follow. Do not underestimate your importance. It's going to be up to all of you to get that Star Destroyer flying again. Medical personnel and the wounded will go last."

On the bridge, Ackbar muted the comm and turned to Leia.

"Do you want to say anything, Princess?"

She shook her head, still looking out of the viewport.

Ackbar unmuted the comm. "That will be all. May the Force be with us all."

Ackbar noted the blaster pistol holstered at Leia's hip. "Are you sure about this, Princess?"

"I don't want to have a debate, Ackbar. We're going to need every weapon we have to take that Star Destroyer. And this blaster is the least of mine."

"I understand that. I was speaking about myself remaining here."

"We need you commanding our forces as long as possible."

"I understand that as well. But nonetheless..."

"I get it. But we all have our role to play. This is mine." Leia nodded to Hera and Zeb. The three of them left for the shuttle bay.

"Can we jump?" Ackbar said to the bridge crew.

"Only one way to find out, sir."

Ackbar settled down into the captain's chair. "Make the jump."

Lieutenant Connix pressed the button. The engines rattled to life.

The _New Hope_ shook. One engine burned out, then another. Power conduits overloaded across the ship.

After a moment, the ship jumped to lightspeed.

**Ahch-To**

Luke Skywalker stood at a cliff by the edge of the sea. He held a red, pyramidal holocron in his hand. He threw it into the water. He took the lightsaber from his belt next. He drew his arm back.

Artoo warbled at him. His radar dish was extended.

Luke looked down at him. He lowered his arm.

Something was tapping against the stone path. Wood on stone, at the pace and cadence of slow foot falls.

"Looking for someone, I am," the blue ghost of Master Yoda said. "A great warrior."

"War," Luke said, turning slowly, "Does not make one great."

Yoda clambered onto a rock and seated himself. "Wise words, young Skywalker. Wise words indeed. Remember anything else Yoda has taught, do you, hmm?"

"What are you doing here? After all this time?"

"Many questions you always ask, young Skywalker. But listen to the answers, do you? No. Run, you do. And fly. And fight. Never listen."

"You never should have sent her here."

"Send who? Who has Yoda sent? As headstrong and full of pointless anger as _you_ , she is. Send that girl I did not. Not the only player in this great game, am I."

"Who then? What's the point of all this?"

"More questions. Not your teacher anymore, am I. A teacher _you_ are, young Skywalker."

"So that's why you're here. Maybe if you'd come to me when I still had students, none of this would have happened."

"Blame me, do you?"

"No." Luke turned away from Yoda. "But that doesn't matter. I failed you. And Ben. I could never be the Jedi you thought I was."

"No, young Skywalker. No you could not."

"You've been an awful lot of help. Really. But I'm sure you have better places to be."

"Dead, I am. Free, my time is. And listening, still, you are not. Yes, failed you did. Failed, them. And him. And her. Failed her most of all. But speak to Yoda of failure, do not. Failed more students, I have, then you will ever train. Lost more, I have, than worlds you will ever walk upon. So speak to me not of failure. Embarrass yourself, you do."

Luke sat down beside Yoda. "What am I supposed to do? Ben won't speak to me anymore. Not after," he held up Vader's lightsaber.

"Rigid, Obi-Wan is. My fault that is, as well. But worry not. Failed, you have, at turning to the dark side, young Skywalker. Dismally. Your plans for bringing the Force into final balance have failed as well."

"I have to try. I'm trying to see the bigger picture. To worry about the galaxy, not the individuals. Just like you taught me."

Yoda sighed. "Young Skywalker, a secret, I must tell you. Yoda's darkest secret. Tell no one, you must." Yoda looked around confidentially before continuing. He leaned close. "Wrong, Yoda was. And, so, wrong were the Jedi of old. Defeat Vader with a lightsaber, you did not. Strike down the Emperor with the power of the Force, you did not. Won the day with _this_ , you did." Yoda tapped Luke on the chest with his gimer stick. "Here you sit, on this island of old Jedi secrets. Meditating. Studying. Learning. Feh. Who do you think you are? Not some hermit, are you. Luke Skywalker, you are. Go. Be a hero. Save everyone."

"So that's why you came here. To convince me to come back."

"What? You? Came here for _you_ , you think Yoda did? A celebrity, do you think you are, hmm? Are you Wynssa Starflare? No. Came here for this view, I did." Yoda pointed out at the sun setting over the sea. "No. Convince you, this droid will." Yoda banged Artoo on the dome with his gimer stick. "Show him."

Artoo rolled in front of Luke. He activated his holoprojector.

"This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Leia, from several decades and several more lifetimes ago, said, "You're my only hope."

Luke sighed. "Y'know," he said. "You should have led with that."

He stood. He placed his lightsaber on his belt. He walked to the edge of the cliff. He extended his hand towards the sea.

The water rippled. Slowly, the X-wing rose from beneath the waves. Luke's brow furrowed as he lifted the fighter up the cliff face until it hung in the air before them, along with droplets of water caught in his mental grasp.

Artoo warbled triumphantly.

"Master," Luke said. "Thank you."

Yoda waved him off, "Told you nothing, I did, that you did not already know, Master Skywalker. Now go. In grave danger, your friends are. And blocking my view, you and your ship are."

As the X-Wing flew into the sun painted sky, Yoda settled back on his rock and smiled a knowing smile.

The last Jedi had returned.

**Deep space**

The _New Hope_ dropped out of hyperspace, trailing debris. The darkened bulk of the _Conqueror_ hung in space before it.

"We made it," Ackbar announced. "Status report, Lieutenant Connix."

"The Star Destroyer still has emergency life support. Based on the amount of supplies on a ship that size, it most likely still has a full crew complement."

"Then we're going to have a fight on our hands. Are we a go for escape shuttle deployment?"

"We're going to need a few minutes to maneuver-"

"Sir, we have contact! One real-space reversion to port," Another officer said. "Star Destroyer size."

The _Finalizer_ dropped from hyperspace as he spoke.

Ackbar closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"Sir, what do we do?"

"We're in trouble," Ackbar said.

In the shuttle bay, where Resistance personnel were piling into the escape shuttles, Leia looked up suddenly.

"Princess, what is it?" Hera asked.

"We're about to be under fire."

Hera didn't question it. "Everyone, crash belts on. Get those shuttles sealed and ready to launch on command."

"Princess," Zeb said. "I don't mean to overstep, but... the troops might like to hear a word or two from you. For morale, you know."

"I'm sorry. I don't have anything to say. I've already compromised this mission enough."

Zeb frowned at her. "Princess?"

The _New Hope_ shook as turbolaser fire from the _Finalizer_ began finding its mark.

"We're taking heavy fire," Lieutenant Connix reported. "For now they're hitting the abandoned decks. But that won't last forever."

Ackbar opened his eyes. "Here's the plan. Do we have sublight engines?"

"A few. For a few seconds' burn. If we're very lucky."

"That will have to do. Put us alongside the _Conqueror_. Standard docking maneuvers. If they want to blow us up they'll have to take it with us."

"Sir, we're not going to be able to stop in time to dock. We're going to crash right into it."

Sparks fell in arcs from the ceiling.

"I'm more than aware. Do it." 

The _New Hope_ 's thrusters fired, pushing it towards the _Conqueror_ as turbolaser fire from the _Finalizer_ rained down on its other flank.

"Escape shuttles, ready?" Ackbar said over the comm.

"Ready." Hera reported.

"Get ready to launch on my mark."

The _New Hope_ came alongside the _Conqueror_.

"Sir, we're getting too close," Lieutenant Connix reported.

"Ready docking hooks to fire," Ackbar said impassively. "Escape shuttles, disregard launching order. I want you to all launch at once. Mark."

In the shuttle bay, the escape shuttles launched.

"Cut thrusters," Ackbar ordered.

The _New Hope_ 's thrusters cut off. It continued to move forward under its own frictionless inertia. Right up until a dozen escape shuttles all left it's bay in a blast of explosive decompression. The _New Hope_ wasn't quite stopped dead, but it slowed significantly.

"Forward thrusters, now." Ackbar ordered.

The thrusters fired, stopping the ship completely. They were right alongside the _Conqueror_ , lined up hangar to hangar.

"I believe we are in position to dock," Ackbar said. "Fire hooks."

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Connix said.

The escape shuttles rattled as they approached the _Conqueror's_ hangar. Inside, the rustling and fidgeting of many men and women packed too close together, preparing themselves to walk into blaster fire.

Hera looked over at Leia. Then she got on the comms.

"All forces, listen up. This looks pretty bad. We've got bad guys on both sides and we're about to land blind in hostile territory. But I don't want to hear any of you giving up. We may be the very last of the Resistance. The people of the galaxy are counting on us. We're not going to die out here in the depths of space. We don't get to go out that easy. The job's not done until we've taken down the First Order once and for all."

The shuttles shook as they entered the _Conqueror_ 's hangar.

"Non-combatants, stay in your shuttles and keep the hatches closed until we've cleared the deck. The rest of you, weapons up. They're going to be waiting for us."

The Star Destroyer's hangar was darkened save for recessed emergency lights in the corners. Flashes of turbolaser fire from outside sent emerald reflections scattering over the deck plating. The shuttles touched down softly on repulsorlifts. The hangar was full of stacked cargo containers, placed near the opposite end of the room at many angles. It almost looked like they had been placed intentionally.

Inside the shuttles, weapons clicked as soldiers checked their power cells and flicked safeties nervously.

"Shield's up," Caluan Ematt, a veteran of the Galactic Civil War in charge of ground operations, ordered. The soldiers at the front of the shuttle threw down portable mini-shield generators at the foot of the exit hatch, projecting a series of waist high, forward facing force screens. They crouched behind them, weapons at the ready.

"On your mark, General," Ematt said.

Hera glanced at Leia. Leia nodded.

"Go," Hera said.

"All forces," Ematt said over the comms."Deploy and engage."

The shuttle hatches began to slide open with a hiss of hydraulics.

From behind the cargo containers at the other end of the hangar, the muzzles of blaster rifles glinted dully in the dim light. Then the hangar lit up crimson as the stormtroopers set up in cover behind the containers opened fire. Tripod mounted repeating blasters chattered as they sent laser fire tearing at the open shuttle doors.

The first Resistance soldier went down the instant the hatch opened, a smoking hole through his head. In each shuttle, half the soldier's number stayed low behind the force screens, sending blaster fire back at the stormtroopers. The other half tossed volleys of smoke grenades out into the hangar and rushed. Crimson laser fire lanced through the smoke, cutting down Resistance soldiers as they left the ships. Bodies began piling up on the foot of the hatches. The soldiers kept coming.

Return fire from the Resistance sparked off of the cargo containers. A handful of stormtroopers went down.

"We need more cover," Ematt said over the comms, firing calmly and precisely with his antique A295 blaster rifle.

The first Resistance soldiers to make it out onto the deck threw down more mini-shield generators. More soldiers rushed up to take cover behind them.

"Rear guard, move up," Ematt ordered.

The soldiers still in the shuttles deactivated and picked up the shield generators at the shuttle doorways and brought them forward. They took position behind the front line of shields. The shields sparked and sizzled under the barrage of First Order weapon's fire. More smoke grenades hit the deck. The soldiers jumped over the force screens, carrying the shield generators forward. Some were cut down as soon as they left cover. But enough made it through to set up another line of force screens. The previous rank of shield generators were deactivated and brought forward. They'd covered about half the length of the hangar.

One mini-shield generator sparked, the force screen crackling with electricity. Then it gave out. The men behind it were riddled with blaster fire.

"We have space. Heavy weapons, deploy," Ematt ordered.

Heavy Weapons troopers, wielding underslung M-45 blaster cannons, left the shuttles and moved up to the cover of the mini shield generators. Most of them opened up on the First Order's position in repeating mode, while several deployed the cannon's mortar function. Those rained explosive ordinance down on the cargo containers. Several containers exploded entirely, sending shrapnel and shredded plastoid armor scattering across the deck. The soldiers manning the shield generators moved up again, the ones in the rear taking the front line.

They had made it into the looming shadow of the stacked cargo containers.

"Jumptroopers, go. Clear them out," Ematt ordered.

The last soldiers left in the shuttles moved out. Each of them was equipped with a jetpack, as well as an ample amount of explosives. Their jetpacks roared in the confines of the hangar as the Jumptroopers scaled the containers. They took up position atop them, firing down on thesStormtroopers from above. They followed up with thermal detonators, dropped right into the First Order's position. The Jumptroopers leapt off the containers as the detonators went off. The containers fell.

The surviving stormtroopers fell back through the doors at their behind them, deeper into the ship.

"We're clear," Ematt said.

Hera, Zeb and Leia left the shuttle. The non-combatants and medical personnel began deploying, transporting the wounded on hover gurneys and several bacta tanks.

"Zeb, your team is in charge of taking the fuel cells to the engine room," Leia said. "Hera, you're with me. We're taking the bridge. General Ematt, clear this ship out. Hall by hall if you have to." She looked out on the battle taking place in space. "Keep the wounded safe. We're going to need to leave a rear guard behind. More will be coming."

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

Kylo Ren left the briefing room and entered the bridge.

"How did it go?" Hux asked.

"No matter now. Give me the situation."

"That Rebel ship is barely functional. It's not even shooting back. If it wasn't so close to the _Conqueror_ we'd have taken it out already. I've been content to remind them we're still here for now. They seem to be boarding the _Conqueror_."

"They're trying to hijack it. They are nothing if not resourceful. I'll handle this myself. Prepare a boarding party. Phasma, shall we?"

Ren and Phasma swept off the bridge.

A contingent of stormtroopers, as well as Phasma's squad of ebony armored Death Troopers, were waiting in the hangar.

"The Resistance is not content to die easily," Phasma said to the troops. "Even now, on their last legs, they have launched an attack on the weakest of us. They target those that cannot defend themselves, as always. We will not allow this cowardly attack to go unpunished. The Resistance will die here. And more importantly, we will rescue our family over there on the _Conqueror_. That is what the First Order does. Now, move out."

The stormtroopers filed onto the Upsilon-class command shuttle.

"Hux, we're going in," Kylo Ren said over the comm as he took the controls. "Try to keep us covered. We're going to have to go around that Resistance flagship to get in the hangar."

"No promises," Hux said.

The shuttle lifted off and flew for the _Conqueror_.

**The _Conqueror_**

The Resistance soldiers lowered their rifles. "We're clear, ma'am."

Leia looked in on the cargo bay. "This should do. Send the medical personnel here and tell them to seal themselves in until this is over."

"Right away, ma'am."

"I think I've figured out the route to the bridge," Hera said, studying the markings on the wall closely. "It would be easier if all the halls didn't look exactly the same."

Leia went quiet. She bowed her head. "He's here. We're out of time."

"Kylo Ren?" Hera said. "Damn it. Get moving, soldiers. We're taking the bridge."

**The** **_New Hope_ **

"Admiral, we need to get to the last escape shuttle," Lieutenant Connix said.

"Not yet. There's still more we can do here." Ackbar placed a steadying hand on the railing as the ship shook under turbolaser fire.

"Sir, we don't have any functioning cannons on the port side. We can't shoot back."

"You're showing an astonishing lack of imagination, lieutenant. We don't need cannons to shoot back. Everyone who isn't essential to operations, report to the weapons bay. I want all of our proton torpedoes taken out of the tubes and brought to the escape pods immediately," Ackbar ordered. The crew began filing off of the bridge. "Lieutenant, how long until we lose hull integrity?"

"They're being careful not to blow us up. But given how fragile the superstructure is, we could still come apart from the impacts any second."

"Then I recommend you get down to the shuttle bay. As soon as the rest of the crew joins you, blast off."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not going anywhere until you do."

Ackbar frowned. "We'll discuss this breach of conduct later, lieutenant. Until then, make yourself useful. Targeting systems are offline. We're going to need to line up our shot by eye."

**The** **_Conqueror_ **

Leia held up a hand. Hera and their contingent of soldiers stopped behind her. From around the darkened corner came the pounding of stormtrooper boots. Three of them ran by the intersection of hallways.

Leia held a finger to her lips with one hand. She passed her other hand in front of them.

The stormtroopers looked right at them. From their perspective, all they saw was an empty hallway. They kept walking.

Leia lowered her hand and drew her blaster. She and Hera shot the stormtroopers in the back. 

In the hangar, Kylo Ren's shuttle touched down.

A level below, Caluan Ematt and a contingent of soldiers took positions along the darkened hallways. These two corridors were the only way out of the hangar.

The lift from the hangar signaled. Someone was coming down.

Ematt motioned to his men. One of them threw down a mini-shield generator facing the lift door. The rest took up positions inside of doorways or behind crates.

The grating on the floor rattled as the lift came down.

The soldiers checked their power cells.

"Steady," Ematt said.

The lift came down. The door chimed.

The soldier's trained their weapons on the lift.

The door slid open.

Kylo Ren and Phasma stepped out.

Kylo's lightsaber blazed to life, first the main blade, then the crossguard. Phasma raised her rifle to her shoulder.

The soldiers opened fire.

Kylo's lightsaber buzzed and spat sparks as he blocked shots and sent them back. One man went down to a deflected blaster bolt through his forehead. Phasma took the shots on her chromium armor. Behind them, the lift went back up.

They advanced into the hail of blaster fire. Kylo spun his blade before him. One stride, two; he vaulted over the force screen, slicing through the generator as he did. Then he was among the soldiers.

"Fall back!" Ematt shouted, backpedaling as he fired.

Kylo Ren's blade hacked down the first soldier. He thrust out his other hand, slamming another into the wall hard enough to buckle the bulkhead. He blocked another shot.

Phasma fired as she advanced. A soldier dropped with each squeeze of the trigger. She ducked through the passageway into the adjoining hallway.

Kylo Ren caught another soldier in the Force's grip and yanked the man towards him, impaling him on his waiting lightsaber. He removed the blade with a flick of the wrist and cut horizontally through the next soldier's throat.

Ematt hurled a thermal detonator down the hall. Kylo raised a hand and the detonator froze in midair. He advanced past the frozen detonator. Deflected blaster bolts sparked off of the bulkheads. Kylo thrust out his hand and the fleeing soldiers all froze in place. He walked into their midst, lightsaber buzzing.

In the adjoining hall, Phasma slammed her knee into a Bothan soldier's gut, doubling him over. She unloaded her rifle down the hall with one hand, threw the Bothan to the ground with the other. Phasma picked off another soldier as he poked his head up over the crate he was hiding behind. She turned long enough to put a shot into the prone Bothan's chest, then kept moving. Blaster fire sparked off her exposed back. She turned, tossed a thermal detonator through an open door way. It detonated a moment later, sending flame and several soldiers flying out of the room.

She flipped her rifle into full auto mode and swept the hallway.

The surviving soldiers fell back into the room at the end of the hallway, firing at her from the cover of the door frame. Phasma staggered under the impact of the blaster bolts. She ducked behind a crate long enough to snap an attachment from her belt onto the gun's ordinance launcher. She fired it through the open doorway. The device hit the back wall and attached there. It let out a scanning laser. Then the miniature auto-turret unfolded and started shooting the soldiers in the back. It picked off three before one of them shot it off the wall. By that time Phasma has reached the doorway. She planted an armored boot in one man's chest, sending him flying into the wall. She brought her elbow down on a second, knocking him to the floor, while shooting the last twice in the chest. Phasma slammed the stock of her rifle down on the prone soldier's skull for good measure, then shot the one she'd kicked into the wall through the head.

In the other hall, the soldiers stood still as statues, still frozen by the Force even in death. Smoke rose from the bodies. Kylo Ren held his blade to Caluan Ematt's throat.

"Caluan Ematt," Ren said.

"Kylo Ren. Never fighting fair. And to think, I was assigned to bodyguard your spoiled backside back in the day." Ematt managed to work up enough movement to spit on Ren. "Never should have rescued you two from those Togarian Pirates. Woulda saved us all a lot of pain."

"I suppose I never thanked you for that," Kylo said. Then he cut off Ematt's head. "Thanks."

He let go the thermal detonator still hanging in the hallway and it went off, blowing the frozen corpses off their feet.

The lift chimed again and Phasma's Death Troopers poured out. They would be followed soon by more stormtroopers.

"We're clear," Phasma said. "But searching this ship is going to take time. We can't coordinate with the crew with the power out."

"Don't bother." Ren tapped his forehead. "I know exactly where they are."

The _Millenium Falcon_ dropped out of hyperspace. The _Finalizer_ loomed in the viewport.

"Oh, come on," Rey muttered, kicking the _Falcon_ into a dive as turbolaser fire began streaking towards them.

"What's going on?" Finn called from the main cabin.

"We just walked into a battle," Rey called back.

Chewbacca rushed into the cockpit and slid into the co-pilot's seat. He rarred a question at Rey even as he activated the deflector shields and diverted power to engines.

Rey closed her eyes as she took the _Falcon_ under the Star Destroyer's superstructure.

"Leia's on the other Star Destroyer." Her eyes snapped open. "So is Kylo Ren."

Chewbacca barked at her.

"I know. I'm taking us in."

The _Falcon_ dived for the _Conqueror_.

**The** **_Conqueror_ **

Leia and Hera's group cut into a cargo bay.

Hera tapped at her comm unit. "I can't raise General Ematt's unit. I don't think they made it. We're probably being pursued. What are your orders, Princess?"

"I'm sorry, Hera. I shouldn't be giving any orders. I never should have. I have a conflict of interest."

The soldiers looked at each other uncertainly.

"What are you talking about?" Hera hissed. "We're in the middle of a mission here."

"I've compromised the mission," Leia said. "I led him right to us."

The door at the opposite end of the room slid open. Kylo Ren and Phasma entered the cargo bay at the head of a contingent of stormtroopers.

The Resistance soldiers raised their blasters.

"Hold your fire," Leia said.

"Princess-" Hera began.

"Sorry. That's my son. Between him and the Resistance, it isn't even a contest."

On the other side of the room, Kylo Ren held up his hand to the stormtroopers. "Hold your fire."

"We have them right where we want them," Phasma hissed. "What do you think you're doing, Ren?"

"Hold your fire or I kill you all," Ren said. He began walking towards the Resistance group.

Leia walked towards him.

The sormtroopers and Resistance soldiers kept their guns trained on each other as Leia and Ren met at the center of the cargo bay.

"Ben," Leia said.

"Leia Organa-Solo," Ren said. His hand dangled by the hilt of his lightsaber.

"Oh, stop that. Take that thing off. Let me look at you."

Kylo hesitated for a moment. His hands shook.

"Go on," Leia said. "It's okay."

Kylo took off his helmet. He let it drop to the floor.

Leia reached up to touch the scar on his cheek, "Oh, sweetie. You're not taking care of yourself." she tilted his face from side to side, looking at it from every angle. "Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Mom, stop that."

"I told you, eight hours a night, no matter how much you're training. And if you get cut put bacta on it first thing so you... so you don't get any scars." her voice faltered. "And you have to eat your greens. You can't keep giving them to Chewie..." she choked off a sob.

"Mom, that was a long time ago."

"I know. I know." she smiled slightly, "You finally listened when I called you."

"I can always hear you." he looked over her shoulder. "You led me to your own people."

"I'd do anything to see you sweetie," Leia put her arms around him. "Please come home. I don't care about this stupid war. I just want you to come home."

After a moment, he hugged her back. "Mom, look around. I can't."

On either side of the room, soldiers trained their blasters on each other.

"I never wanted this life for you," she said into his shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't there more. If I could do it over again, I'd never stay in the Senate. I know you must hate me..."

"I don't..." Kylo wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "I don't hate you."

"You shouldn't hate your uncle either. It's not his fault. She made her choice. And she wouldn't want this."

"I can't stop now, Mom. I'm sorry."

"Yes, you can, sweetie. We can just go. We don't have to keep fighting anymore."

He looked over her shoulder. At the Resistance soldiers.

"Not until the job's done."

Leia looked back as well. She closed her eyes briefly. "It's okay, Ben. You don't have to be scared." she placed her hand firmly on his chest.

"Mom, you have to get out of here right now," Kylo said quietly.

"No, Ben. I may have let you find us, but I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else. I promise." Leia Force pushed him.

Kylo's breath left him as he skidded backwards on his heels. Cargo containers on either side were blown back by the impact. He threw his hands out in front of him, pushing back. The deck plating buckled between them. The girders above rippled and warped.

"Mom, I don't want to fight you," Kylo said.

"I know, sweetie. That's why you're going to lose." Leia thrust her hand towards him.

Kylo was blown off his feet, shooting backwards like a bullet and slamming into the stormtroopers, knocking several off their feet, before hitting the far wall hard enough to buckle the plating.

"Open fire!" Phasma ordered, raising her own blaster.

The stormtroopers, all twelve of them, opened up on the Resistance group.

"No!" Kylo shouted, throwing up his hands. The Force pulsed through the room.

All of the blaster bolts stopped dead, hanging frozen in crackling stillness halfway across the cargo bay.

"Ben," Leia said. "Thank you."

She and the Resistance troops ran out through the other doorway.

"After them!" Phasma barked.

As the stormtroopers rushed off in pursuit, Phasma turned to Kylo Ren.

"When the Supreme Leader learns of this..."

"He won't," Kylo brought his helmet to him with a wave of his hand and fitted it over his head. "Not unless you want him to learn things about you, as well."

Phasma was silent for a moment, "Fair enough. What's the plan?"

Kylo looked towards the far wall, as though he could see something there. "Someone has just arrived. I'll deal with her myself. You can do whatever you want."

He swept from the bay, deactivated lightsaber in hand.

**The** **_Supremacy_ **

"Maintain monitoring on the battle," Snoke said from his throne as he was holoprojected onto the bridge. "Get ready to jump us in if anything goes wrong. I will leave nothing to chance."

"As you command, Supreme Leader," Admiral Natasi Daala said from the bridge.

"Admiral Daala," a bridge officer called. "We have contact."

"What is it?" Snoke said, leaning forward on his throne.

Daala brought up an image on the holo feed.

TIE fighters from the _Supremacy_ 's escort were exploding, one after the other. A single fighter, almost invisible from the distance, streaked among them.

"Admiral, Echo squadron is gone. We've lost contact with Razor squadron."

"Scan for cloaked ships," Dalaa ordered. "Charge weapons."

Snoke closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them suddenly. "There's only one ship."

"With all due respect, Supreme Leader," Daala said. "That isn't possible. We've already lost two whole squadrons. They'd have to be the greatest pilot the galaxy has ever seen."

"You've no idea. Bring the _Fulminatrix_ and _Harbinger_ around. Fire everything you have on that fighter."

"Sir... if it's only _one_ ship..."

"Do it now, Daala! Before it's too late!"

A lone X-Wing flew through the wreckage of dozens of TIE fighters. It was an old model, from long decades ago, and it hadn't been well taken care of. The paint was peeling and the engines sputtered and leaked water droplets that froze into a trail of ice behind it. Its astromech droid was older still, decades behind the current model.

One First Order Star Destroyer and a Dreadnought changed course to meet it, putting themselves between the small fighter and the kilometers long mass of the _Supremacy_.

The X-Wing came to a halt before the capital ships

"Sir," Daala said. "We're being hailed."

"This is Luke Skywalker," the voice over the comm said.

Around the bridge, intakes of breath and muttered prayers to Imperial saints.

"I've come to negotiate the First Order's surrender."

"Supreme Leader?" Daala glanced at Snoke's hologram imploringly. "Orders?"

"Don't answer. Destroy him." Snoke said.

"In a moment," Luke said. "I will be landing aboard your flagship. How that happens is up to you."

"Open fire," Daala ordered.

The _Harbinger_ came around to aim a full broadside of turbolasers while the _Fulminatrix_ deployed its orbital cannons.

The X-Wing hung motionless.

In the cockpit, Luke armed a pair of proton torpedos. He fired blind without bothering to even turn on the targeting computer.

The pair of torpedos streaked across space towards the Star Destroyers.

Luke closed his eyes and held out a hand. The torpedos split suddenly, one curving towards the _Harbinger_ , the other for the _Fulminatrix_. One flew into the _Harbinger_ 's superstructure, the other hugged the side of the _Fulminatrix_ 's hull, unerringly finding the exhaust port on its side.

A moment later both ships were rocked with explosions.

The Star Destroyers listed in space, leaking flames.

The X-Wing began moving again. "I'm coming aboard now. If you fire on me your ship will be disabled as well."

"Supreme Leader, the _Harbinger_ and _Fulminatrix_ are both down. What do we do?" Daala asked.

"Let him aboard," Snoke said. "Bring Skywalker to me."

The X-Wing touched down in the _Supremacy_ 's hangar. stormtroopers flooded the deck, first dozens, then hundreds. The canopy slid open and Luke Skywalker jumped down from the fighter. As his boots hit the deck, every stormtrooper in the hangar took a step back.

"I would like to speak to the Supreme Leader," Luke said.

The stormtroopers looked at one another. One of them was shoved forward by the others.

Luke spread his arms, showing his empty belt.

"I come unarmed."

"This way," the stormtrooper said. "The droid stays here."

"The droid can come," Luke said, moving his fingers slightly.

"The droid can come," the stormtrooper repeated. A dozen other troopers, caught in the effect, echoed him in a chorus.

Luke and Artoo followed the stormtrooper out of the hangar. More soldiers fell in behind them, circling Luke from every side.

Luke Skywalker walked into the heart of the First Order.

**The** **_Conqueror_ **

"You made the right decision, princess," Hera said as the group of Resistance fighters moved through the Star Destroyer's darkened corridors towards the bridge.

"I didn't do it for any of you," Leia said. "But thanks for the thought."

They rounded the corner and ran right into Rey. Poe, Finn, Chewbacca and BB-8 were close behind her.

"Where's Luke?" Leia said.

"Hello to you, too," Rey said. "He isn't coming."

"What do you mean he isn't-"

"Long story. We met general Calrissian."

"Lando?"

"He's bringing the Republic. We just have to hold them off for a while longer."

"We have that covered. We're trying to take command of this ship."

Rey looked up suddenly. "Kylo Ren is close."

"Ren?" Poe said. "Rey, can you stop him?"

Rey looked down at her lightsaber. She looked over at Leia. "I don't know..." she said uncertainly.

"Rey," Poe said. "This is what you're here for. If you can't take him down, no one can. We all need you."

"You need me..." Rey echoed.

"Yeah. You're the only one who can do this. If we don't stop him, none of this matters. It's all up to you."

Rey took a deep breath, "Okay. I can do it."

"Wait," Finn took Rey's arm and led her away from the others. "Are you seriously thinking about going to fight him? You don't even know how to use a lightsaber."

"I know enough. Finn, this is what I'm supposed to do, isn't it? The Resistance needs me."

"So do-" Finn cut himself off. "Rey, you don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm just trying to do the right thing." She placed her hand on her lightsaber. "I have to go."

Leia caught her by the arm. "Rey, if you kill my son, I'll kill you."

Rey shrugged out of her grip. "I'll take my chances."

She walked away.

Zeb and his contingent of soldiers entered the Star Destroyer's engine room. The stormtroopers were waiting for them.

Zeb unslung his Bo-rifle and put a shot through the first's stomach. He extended the rifle into it's electrostaff configuration and brought it down on another helmet. He whirled the weapon once and drove it into a third stormtrooper's chest plate.

Blaster fire flashed through the engine room as the Resistance soldiers finished off the remaining stormtroopers.

"We're clear," Zeb called. "Get in here and get this thing working."

Technicians, bearing fuel cells from the _New Hope_ , entered the room and got to work.

As they passed through an expansive room that seemed to be the _Conqueror_ 's mess hall, Leia suddenly brought them to a halt.

"Down!" she said, pulling Poe aside as blaster fire tore across the room.

Phasma and her squad entered from the opposite side of the room.

"FN-2187," Phasma said to Finn as the room began to fill up with blaster fire. "I've been waiting for this."

Rey slipped into a cramped maintenance corridor. Lights flickered and conduits spat sparks as power began to flood back through the ship. Red emergency lights flickered on down the length of the narrow corridor. At the end of the corridor, they illuminated Kylo Ren.

"I knew you'd find me," he said.

Rey's hand went to her lightsaber.

"I thought you wanted to help me. I thought you wanted to save me," Kylo said.

"You're hurting people. You... you're not giving me any choice."

"Rey, the Republic can't run this galaxy. The Resistance isn't even trying. All these people ever do is perpetuate the same conflicts over and over again."

"That's rich coming from the man dressed up as Darth Vader, with his army of second hand stormtroopers."

"The last time the galaxy had any real stability was under the Empire. There's a reason the Rebellion was a minority. It was founded by a handful of elite senators who wanted to hang onto power and prestige. They never cared about anything, or anyone, else."

"Save the rhetoric. All I feel from you is anger and sadness. No purpose."

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you."

"I know exactly what I'm doing. I have to stop you."

"Rey... killing me isn't going to make them love you."

Rey activated her lightsaber. "Shut up."

"I wanted to be friends."

"I said shut up!"

Kylo Ren activated his own lightsaber. "So be it."

They faced each other for a moment, blades hissing. Rey took a step forward. Kylo took a step in return.

Rey went at him, a shout escaping her as she brought her blade around hard with both hands at waist height. Kylo flicked his blade up from his waist with a snap of the wrist, catching her blade and knocking it aside. The blue blade struck the wall of the cramped corridor with a shower of sparks. Rey recovered and brought her blade up to shoulder height, swinging again as hard as she could. Kylo caught the blow an inch off his own shoulder, holding their blades locked in a bind briefly with one hand before shoving Rey back a step with minimal exertion. While Rey was off balance, Kylo flicked his blade low, tip searing a burning line through the floor grating, and up towards Rey's ankles. Rey swung down hard with both hands, slamming Kylo's blade back to the floor. She slashed heavily at his face. He took an easy step back and the blade blurred through empty space, catching the wall on the backswing. Rey swung again. Kylo grunted as her blade slammed against his guard. He took the hilt in both hands and forced their locked blades to the side, driving them up against the wall. As the metal sizzled under the blades and Rey strained against him, Kylo released the hilt with one hand and brought his fist snapping up into her jaw. Rey stumbled back a few steps. She shook her head and advanced again, bringing her blade down in an overhand chop at the top of Kylo's head. Kylo brought his own lightsaber up to meet hers. The blades met in a shower of sparks and Rey's was jolted back up into the low ceiling, raining sparks down on them. Rey stumbled back a step from the impact of the collision. She jerked her head to the side, narrowly avoiding a buzzing cross cut from Kylo's blade that would have cleanly bisected her skull. Rey found her balance and lunged forward, lightsaber extended to stab right through Kylo. He turned aside smoothly, catching his blade on hers and letting it slide up it's azure length as Rey extended her arm. Once he was inside her guard Kylo flipped his lightsaber up vertical and punched at her with the hilt. The blazing cross-guard seared deep into Rey's shoulder. She cried out and staggered back off the blade, smoke leaking from the wound. Rey slashed in front of her with her good arm, knocking aside Kylo's follow up strike. She backpedaled, blocking high with one hand, then jumping back as Kylo disengaged their blades and slashed at her stomach. Rey came to the end of the corridor.

She ducked out into the main hallway, Kylo's lightsaber searing a scar in the wall where her head had just been. At the end of the hallway, a set of bulkhead doors opened and half-closed repeatedly, blocked by a piece of debris lodged between them. Rey backed swiftly towards it. She jumped between the closing doors blind, timing it without thinking about it. She slashed through the piece of debris as she did so, letting the doors slam shut.

Kylo jabbed a finger at the control panel, pressing the release button with the Force. It remained closed. He jammed his blade into the door, then thought better of cutting through the whole thing and thrust an open palm at it. The meter thick, hard vacuum rated doors blew off their moorings, sliding into the darkened cargo bay on the other side.

Kylo heard the sound of Rey's lightsaber deactivating somewhere among the stacks of weapons crates and supplies. He shut off his own blade. The only light came from a power conduit on the floor spitting sparks as it overloaded from the suddenly returned power. Kylo stalked among the crates.

"I can sense you, Rey. You can't hide from me."

On the other side of the crate, Rey pressed her lightsaber emitter to the crate's surface. She activated it.

Kylo jerked aside at the last moment, nonetheless sustaining a burn to his arm as Rey's lightsaber speared through the crate. Kylo's own blade buzzed to life. He hacked through the crate with two blows, stepping through the wreckage and slashing down on Rey. She parried as she skipped back. The door slid open behind them and she stepped out into another hallway. Kylo's blade buzzed and his cape swirled behind him as he forced Rey back. She blocked one strike, a second. The third nearly buckled her wrists. She slipped aside, letting the fourth slam into the deck.

"Did Skywalker teach you nothing?" Kylo spat. "What lightsaber form are you even using?"

"He... he didn't..." Rey trailed off even as she raised her lightsaber, catching Kylo's blade before it bisected her. The red blade crackled and buzzed like a revving engine a few scant inches from her face. Rey closed her eyes and listened to it. "I'm using the sound of your lightsaber."

"What does that even-"

Rey darted to the side, sliding her blade out from under Kylo's and bringing it around at his exposed flank. He whirled and slashed, smacking her blow aside.

Rey settled back into a ready stance.

Kylo watched her for a moment. Then he lunged.

Rey mirrored the harsh buzz of his blade, parrying the blow and hacking back with a horizontal cut at Kylo's throat. He took a step back to avoid the blow.

Rey kept moving back as they fought, falling into the roar of Kylo's blade, catching every movement it made by the sound of it. From the doorway on the far side of the corridor came the sound of blaster fire. Rey caught Kylo's slash, flicking her wrist sharply to throw his blade back. She released the hilt with one hand to smack the door controls. She jumped back as the door slid open. Kylo pressed her back through the doorway. And right into the _Conqueror_ 's mess hall.

Which was in the middle of being torn apart as Phasma's stormtroopers fought Leia's contingent of soldiers. Rey and Kylo immediately disengaged and began blocking the hail of blaster fire they'd walked into.

Poe slid behind a table, firing over the top. One stormtrooper went down with a smoking crater in his chest. He turned his sights on one of the black armored Death Troopers and put two shots in his chestplate. He was already in the middle of finding a new target when the Death Trooper began getting back up, despite the burning wounds in his chest.

"The hell?" Poe muttered, shooting him again. He ducked down as blaster fire swept over the table.

When he poked his head back over, the Death Trooper was still getting back up. Then something significantly larger than a blaster bolt hit the Death Trooper, blowing him across the room. Chewbacca hefted his bowcaster and fired again, hitting the Death Trooper's prone form. He didn't get back up.

"Thanks," Poe said.

Chewbacca rarred at him and sighted up on a fresh target.

"Get to the bridge!" Poe shouted to Leia and Hera. "We'll hold them here."

Finn slid into cover behind a bench.

"Hold your fire!" he shouted over the table at the stormtroopers, "We can still talk about this. I'm one of you."

"No, you're not," Phasma said. She finished throttling the Resistance soldier in her grip, let the limp form drop to the ground. Finn fired at her. The shot sparked harmlessly off her shoulder. "Come now, FN-2187, you know better than that. You can't hurt me."

She advanced on Finn. He backpedaled, still shooting. The blaster bolts slammed into Phasma's chestplate, staggering her but not stopping her. She dropped her blaster to the floor. "No clean death for you, traitor."

Finn backed up into a table. Phasma reached him in two long strides and smacked the blaster from his grip.

"You were always a disappointment, FN-2187."

"That isn't my name anymore," Finn said. He punched her. His fist bounced off her armor. He clutched his hand.

"You're pathetic." Phasma caught him by the throat and slammed him down on the table. "You had everything." She slammed an armored fist down on him. "You were born into the First Order. You never had to struggle in the real world. You never had to fight to feed yourself every day. You never wanted for anything." She struck him again. "You never had to wonder who you are and what your purpose is. You always had a family that would never throw you away or hurt you."

Finn swung a fist at her. She blocked with her forearm and drove her other fist down into his chest, knocking him flat to the table.

"We gave you everything. I gave you everything I never had." Phasma struck him again. Her armored fist came back painted red. "And you threw us all away for, what... this ragtag band of terrorists? You would rather consort with filthy non-humans than your own family? You'd kill so many of us for _them_? What's wrong with you?"

"They..." Finn coughed a spattering of blood onto the table. "Never told me to kill innocent people."

"Oh, you hypocrite. Are you trying to tell me there were no innocent people on Starkiller Base? You grew up with those people. I trained those people," Phasma threw Finn to the floor. "I'm done with you." She extended her collapsible command staff and raised it above her head. "You'll never hurt any of my kids again."

Rey gasped quietly and looked over at Finn. She ducked a swing from Kylo's blade.

She didn't swing back. She threw her lightsaber.

"Finn!" she shouted, hand extended. She brought the lightsaber right to his hand with a push of the Force.

Finn's grip tightened on it. He activated the blade and raised it in time to parry Phasma's blow. The blade sizzled against the staff, but didn't sever it. Finn climbed to his feet.

"Scared of a fair fight?" he said.

Phasma snarled and charged at him.

Rey, meanwhile, faced Kylo unarmed.

"That was really stupid," Kylo said.

Rey shrugged with one shoulder. Then she ran at him.

Kylo kept his blade leveled at her.

She ran right at it.

"Rey..." Kylo said. His blade wavered.

Rey kept coming.

Kylo jerked his lightsaber aside an instant before she impaled herself on it. Rey crashed into him, bearing him backwards, out into the hallway.

Phasma stepped to the side as Finn swung at her. She smacked him in the ankles with her staff, taking his feet out from under him. Finn turned his fall into a roll, came up slashing the lightsaber clumsily at her. Phasma parried on the haft of her staff, forced the lightsaber aside and punched Finn in the jaw.

"Just give up, FN-2187. What are you even fighting for? You can't possibly believe in the Resistance. You have no idea what the galaxy is really like. They need the First Order."

"That's the whole problem. I don't know. All I know are the lies you taught me. I'm not gonna let you mess up any more kids like that. I'm not going to let you convince them to die for nothing." 

Finn swung the blade at her like a club. She took the blow on the shoulder in a shower of sparks.

Phasma grunted and stabbed the staff's bladed tip at him. Finn narrowly blocked, but wasn't able to avoid the kick to the gut that knocked him to the floor. He smacked aside another blow from Phasma's staff from his back, rolled to the side as she jabbed the tip into the deck. Before she could strike again, blaster fire from Poe rained down on her. She staggered under the barrage. Phasma took the shots on one raised arm. She flicked her wrist in a certain way and a holdout blaster fell from a compartment in her gauntlet. Phasma caught it in her free hand and returned fire at Poe, sending him diving for cover. Finn found his feet and charged at her from the opposite side, lightsaber raised. Phasma twirled her staff expertly with her other hand, smacking Finn in the jaw and knocking him to the floor. This time he didn't get back up.

Rey slammed Kylo Ren into the wall.

"Rey, stop it." Kylo said.

She snarled deep in her throat and slammed her forearm into his neck. Kylo shoved her back a step with a raised hand and a push of the Force, moved to raise his lightsaber. Rey was on him before he could get it all the way up, moving inhumanly fast. She got both hands around his wrist, fingers clawing at his lightsaber's hilt. As they struggled over the lightsaber, Kylo moved his feet, sliding around until Rey's back was to the wall. He applied pressure suddenly, forcing Rey back against the wall. He forced their arms towards her until she was holding the red blade back an inch from her throat.

"Don't make me kill you," he said.

All Rey offered him was a growl as she let go of his wrist with one hand, thrust it at Kylo's face. The blast of Force power that went with it partially caved in the side of his helmet and sent him stumbling back. His lightsaber fell to the floor. Kylo's hands flew to the crushed fastenings of his helmet, trying to pry it off. Rey ignored the fallen lightsaber. She went right for Kylo. She got behind him, pulling his arm back and straight out with one hand. She kicked him in the back of the knee, knocking him down on his other leg. Kylo's other hand scrambled at his damaged helmet. Rey, meanwhile, slammed her forearm into the extended joint of Kylo's elbow. It snapped. Kylo cried out and fell forward, helmet coming off as he did. He flung out his hand behind him, grabbing Rey in a hand of the Force. He jerked his arm violently to the side and she slammed hard into the far wall.

Rey spat her anger and flung her own hand at Kylo, blasting him back into the opposing wall. Kylo clenched his fist and the piping on the wall began to crush in around Rey, slowly encasing her in metal. She braced both hands on the pipes and began forcing them away, half with the Force and half with the strength her anger was giving her. She made enough space to slip free, staggering forward. Kylo was right there to meet her, bringing his fist down at her. Rey blocked with one forearm, drove her other fist into his unprotected stomach, doubling him over. She grabbed a handful of his cape and pulled hard, depositing Kylo on his back.

Rey straightened, breathing hard. Then she pulled a fist back to hit him while he was down.

Kylo held out his hand and his helmet came to him. He swung it up at Rey. She walked right into it.

The helmet connected with her jaw with a sharp crack. Rey went down, head slamming hard into the deck. She shook her head violently, rolled over onto her stomach and got her hands and knees under her.

Kylo Ren took the helmet in both hands and raised it high. He brought it down on Rey's back. The breath left her as she slammed back down to the deck. She flung her hand out behind her blindly. The deck plating shook as Kylo was blown off his feet. Rey scrambled forward, getting her hands on a bulkhead door and using it to drag herself to her feet. Kylo was already on his feet. He grabbed a handful of Rey's hair and slammed her forehead into the door. Rey reached behind her, taking that hand by the thumb and twisting sharply. He let go, and she brought his hand over her shoulder. She sank her teeth into it hard enough to puncture both glove and skin. Kylo snarled and pulled his hand away.

Rey reached over and smacked the door controls. The door lid open and they both fell forward into the darkened room beyond.

They grappled briefly as they staggered through the dark room. Then both their feet came to an edge of some kind. They both fell into darkness.

Phasma planted a foot into the table Poe was taking cover behind. It shot forward, slamming into his gut and knocking him onto his back. Phasma fired her hold out blaster, taking out a Resistance soldier. She ducked a shot from Chewbacca's bowcaster. It hit a stormtrooper behind her, blowing him off his feet.

She sighted up on Chewbacca. The Wookiee ignored the blaster pointed at him. He barreled right into Phasma, taking her off her feet.

"How dare you touch me, you filth," Phasma said. She pressed a button on her gauntlet and electricity coursed through her armor. Chewbacca's fur stood on end and he fell backwards. "I'm going to kill all of you. None of you deserve to live." She aimed her blaster at Chewbacca's head."You're all scum."

"Hey," Finn said from behind her. He activated the lightsaber. "That's Rebel scum."

He swung the lightsaber like a club, hitting Phasma square in the helmet. Sparks and bits of chromium metal flew. Phasma hit the ground. Her half shattered helmet bounced along the deck.

Finn looked down at her face. "What the..."

The blaster fire slowly died down as the stormtroopers stopped firing. They were all looking at Phasma.

At Phasma, with her green, almost imperceptibly scaled, skin.

"Don't..." she put her hands over her face. "Don't look at me. Please don't look at me."

"Ma'am..." One of the Death Troopers said. "What _are_ you?"

"I... I'm..." she faltered over her words.

"She's a liar," Finn said in the suddenly quiet room. "Just like the rest of them."

The stormtroopers looked at each other, clearly lost.

"Who are you supposed to be, then?" the Death Trooper who had spoken before said.

"I'm just a guy. I was stationed on the _Finalizer_. I know most of you guys." Finn placed the lightsaber on his belt. "I just want to talk."

"Finn, buddy..." Poe whispered. "Bad idea."

"I have to try," Finn hissed back. "And we need to buy time anyway."

"Don't listen to a word he says," Phasma said, still on the floor, still covering her face. "He's a traitor."

"Ma'am... You're not _human_." One stormtrooper said. "You always told us that aliens weren't even people. What else did you lie to us about?"

Several other stormtroopers nodded in agreement.

"You don't understand, I didn't have any choice," Phasma said.

"I've never lied to any of you," Finn said. "I'm telling you, the First Order isn't on the level. They're having us kill innocents and blow up planets. That was never what they told us it would be like. What happened to liberating people?"

The stormtroopers glanced at each other.

"He's lying to you," Phasma said. "He just wants you to kill for the other side. They aren't any different."

The Death Trooper walked over to her. He struck her hard on the head with the stock of his rifle."You're non-human scum, ma'am. Don't speak to me. Don't even look at me. Way I see it, the real traitor here is _you_."

The other stormtroopers nodded amongst themselves.

"I say we take this traitor back to the ship for court martial. It's a shame FN-2187 and the rebel scum escaped in the confusion."

The other troopers nodded in agreement.

"Wait," Finn said. "How can you just go back now that you know the truth? The Resistance needs all the help it can get."

"The Resistance? You want us to join the _Resistance_?" the Death Trooper scoffed, "FN-2187, that's insane. We aren't _traitors_. We're not the only men on this ship. There's no way any of you are making it out of this alive." He hauled Phasma up by the arm.

"Please don't do this," she said, tears were leaking from her eyes. "All I ever did was love you."

"Shut it, scum." The trooper fastened binders to Phasma's wrists. "Get moving. Come on men. We're done here."

The other stormtroopers filed out after them.

Poe put a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Sorry that didn't go the way you wanted it to. Indoctrination like that is hard to break."

"Don't be sorry," Finn said. He smiled suddenly. "It's a start."

In the cargo bay the medical personnel and wounded were holed up in, Threepio noticed something concerning.

"Excuse me, sir?" he said to the soldier guarding the door.

"What is it, droid?"

"Well, that was rude."

The man looked over at Threepio. He scrambled quickly to attention. "Sorry. I thought you were a medical droid. What can I do for you, C-3P0, sir?"

"Well, I happened to notice... and I'm no medical expert myself so I really couldn't be sure... And none of the doctors would give me the time of day... and the medical droids are _shockingly_ rude, I'll have you know..." Threepio babbled.

The soldier closed his eyes briefly. Why couldn't he be in the middle of a shootout like his buddies? "What is it?" he said with dangerous calm.

"Well..." Threepio pointed at a bacta tank. "I... well... Is it _supposed_ to be empty?"

"Is..." the soldier broke off, stricken. "Is that... _that_ bacta tank?"

"I am afraid so."

"Force help us. The Princess is going to kill us."

"Oh," Threepio made a human-like sigh. "That is what I thought."

**The** **_New Hope_ **

"Ready, lieutenant?" Admiral Ackbar said.

"As we'll ever be," Lieutenant Connix said.

Ackbar placed a finger on the button. "Let's hope we did this right." He pressed the button.

On the _New Hope_ 's port side, the escape pods fired. Several hundred of them. The _Finalizer_ started catching them in tractor beams by protocol.

A second press of the button detonated the proton torpedos packed inside the pods in close proximity to the _Finalizer_.

The Star Destroyer was blown back several hundred meters through space by the massive magenta conflagration. It's shields flashed and overloaded. Debris pockmarked its hull.

"Well," Ackbar said calmly as the explosion lit up the bridge. "I believe we have successfully returned fire."

Lieutenant Connix, for her part, cheered and threw her arms around Ackbar.

"Decorum, lieutenant," Ackbar said, patting her on the back. "I believe we've done all we can from here. Shall we report to the shuttle bay? We don't want to be left behind, do we?"

**The** **_Conqueror_ **

Leia moved through the ship's corridors. Hera and the soldiers were at an intersection of doorways just up ahead. Before she could join them, the doors slid closed.

Leia turned to find herself facing three stormtroopers. Her hand dropped to her blaster.

"Don't even think about it," one of the troopers said, blaster raised.

Leia's gaze shifted past the soldiers. A smile moved fleetingly across her face. "Alright." she moved her hand away from the blaster. "You've got me."

One of the stormtroopers approached to place binders on her.

"Hey," the voice came from behind. "Hands off."

The three stormtroopers whirled, blasters raised.

Han Solo shot first. He tracked his blaster across the hall, not taking the time to sight up, just pulling the trigger precisely as the barrel passed over each stormtrooper's forehead. Three stormtroopers fell, smoking holes in their helmets.

Han holstered his blaster and finished slipping his vest over his shoulders. He'd dressed in a hurry. He walked over to Leia. He took her by the hand and pulled her into a kiss.

"You supposed to be in a bacta tank, you dummy," Leia said.

"C'mon, honey. And miss all the fun? What's going on, anyway?"

"We're in the middle of hijacking a Star Destroyer."

Han rubbed her shoulder fondly. "That's my girl. The _Falcon_?"

"Should be in the hangar."

"Chewie?"

"On his way."

"I'll have to fly without a copilot then. Bet we need some cover from outside, right?"

"Han, you're still injured."

"C'mon, it's _me_. I can fly rings around those upstart First Order punks with one hand tied behind my back and a bantha sitting on my chest." He winced and placed a hand on his chest briefly. "Speaking of..."

"Han," Leia reached out to touch the spot. "You really need to get back in that tank."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry so much. It makes you look old."

She swatted his arm. "Don't you dare."

"Leia," Han said. "Where's our son? Is he okay?"

"He's hurting," she said immediately. "But he's not dead."

"That'll have to be enough for now," Han kissed her again. "See you on the other side."

They went their separate ways.

**Author's note:**

_I wonder what people will think about this one. (I regret nothing)_


	11. False Empires

**The** **_Supremacy_ **

Luke Skywalker and Artoo reached the doors outside Snoke’s throne room. Their stormtrooper escort stepped back as the doors slid open. Inside, a flat expanse of austere, reflective ebony floor led to Snoke’s throne. The curved walls of the chamber were covered by floor to ceiling, blood red curtains. Strange, hooded creatures worked at computer consoles of unusual design in the far corners. The throne was ringed by eight crimson armored Praetorian guards, each armed with a unique weapon.

“Luke Skywalker,” Snoke said, his voice echoing off the room’s domed ceiling. “At long last, we meet again.”

“Supreme Leader Snoke,” Luke said, walking across the vast expanse of floor. The heavy curtains rippled in the breeze of the air circulation system. “Or whatever you’re calling yourself these days.”

The clack of his boots on the hard floor echoed in the still air.

Unnoticed as the door slid shut, Artoo rolled into one of the room’s shadowed corners.

“The Witches of Dathomir named me the Empty and Hollow Heart. The Sorcerers of Tund called me Zeeminir Quasar. To the Jedi, I was Jeramiaeh the Traveler. Many names for many places. Many places for many forms of knowledge. You, however, have only ever had one name. Does that mean you are less traveled, or simply that you have learned less?”

Luke came closer to the throne. The Guards each took a single step forward. Luke stopped.

“I’ve come to negotiate your surrender,” Luke said.

“There will be no negotiation, Luke Skywalker, and there will be no surrender. You will find I have prepared for every eventuality. My First Order will burn across the galaxy like a raging and righteous fire and bring an end to the gasping remnants of the Republic.”

“This isn’t the Empire and you know it. It’s a sham made out of flimsiplast and paint. And this,” Luke gestured at the austere room. “This isn't you. Not at all. What twisted game are you playing this time?”

“Hmm,” Snoke said, leaning back in his seat. He gestured at the stormtroopers by the door. “Leave us.”

The stormtroopers filed out.

Snoke visibly relaxed in his throne, his posture slouching. “I don’t know why you’re so cross with me, Luke. I only gave everyone what they wanted.”

“Excuse me?”

“The aging, failed, remnants of the Empire huddling in the Unknown Regions after the War wanted nothing more than a pleasant dream. Another Empire, or better yet, an Empire that had never ended. They wanted another industrial war machine to slave themselves to, and give up the rest of their wretched lives playacting Stormtroopers and Moffs at the foot of a false Emperor. And, of course, to raise a new generation of bright eyed sycophants pledged body and soul to those old Imperial ideals. And the Republic… it was founded by Rebels. What else could they do but rebel? Leaving their cradle of power in the Core, abandoning the legal system they themselves fought and bled to create to fight a guerrilla conflict they had no hope of winning, far away in the depths of space. Reenacting their old battles because a life of peace is the one thing no soldier can stomach. And you… you were the easiest to please of all. Luke Skywalker. Present an impossible situation to you, and you will run headlong into it, with no backup, no plan, no hope of survival. My only question is what took you so long? Where _have_ you been all this time, Luke?”

“Remembering who I was.”

“Oh, yes,” Snoke leaned forward, “We really haven’t seen each other since that day, have we? You remember. The last day it all made sense. By the river under the hanging lilies. You stared up at the suns in the sky, and held your wife close with one arm, and thought everything was good in the world. And me, I was playing down by the river, and whenever I looked up the hillside and caught sight of you, I smiled. Because I knew I was safe. And loved. And nothing was ever going to hurt me.”

“Those aren’t your words. They don't belong to you,” Luke said.

“They do now. And to think, it’s all happening all over again. Can you feel it, Luke? I know I can. Your old student and your new one are about to kill each other.”

**The _Conqueror_**

Rey and Kylo Ren landed in darkness. They had fallen a long way.

“Rey…” Kylo groaned, rolling over. “Are you okay?”

All he heard in the dark was a low growl.

“Rey, you need to calm down.” Kylo said to the dark, struggling to his feet.

Rey ran at him, making claws of her fingers as she reached for his eyes.

“All that transcendent rage,” Snoke said. “All that beautiful hatred. I’d almost think she had Skywalker blood. She knows how to hate like one.”

Kylo threw out a hand, freezing Rey in place. She snarled and took a single step towards him.

“It’s no wonder you didn’t help Rey,” Snoke said. “I’m sure you have no idea how. I mean, you couldn’t help the other one, could you?”

“That’s enough,” Luke said.

“It’s never enough!” Snoke shouted with suddenness. “Do you have any idea how much she hated you? She trusted you! You were supposed to protect her. You were supposed to protect them all. And what did you do?”

“I know what I did.”

Kylo released his hold and Rey stumbled forward. He grabbed her as she did so, one arm wrapped around her body, the other hand clamped firmly to the side of her head.

“Calm. Down.” Kylo said, his words reverberating with the Force.

Rey’s eyes cleared. Her tense muscles slackened.

Then she shook her head rapidly. “No,” she said, and slammed her forehead into Kylo’s nose. His head snapped back and blood leaked from his nose.

“Calm down,” he repeated, holding her head still and looking right into her eyes. And as he did, she saw…

_Rey was by a river. Lilies hung down from the trees. Two suns blazed in the sky, making the water glow gold. The grass was thick as a cushion under her feet. On a rock by the water, a young man sat. He was studying a datapad. His face was unlined and his eyes were clear._

_“Come on, Ben,” the girl splashing in the shallows said. “Put that thing down and get in here.”_

_Ben held up a finger. “I’m just getting to the good part.”_

_“You’re such a Tesh,” she grumbled, splashing water on him._

_He yelped and held the datapad out of the way. “Stop that!”_

_“Make me.”_

_“You asked for it.” Ben put aside the datapad and thrust his hands at her, sending a wave swamping over her. She laughed and crooked a finger at him, yanking him off the rock into the water._

_Luke stood at the top of the windswept hillside. He was clean shaven and his robes were white. He had one arm around a woman’s waist. Her long, red hair fell over his shoulder. Luke was pointing at something in the distance. The woman whispered something in his ear and they both laughed. Rey leaned back against a tree and watched it all. She listened to the sounds of laughter and splashing water._

_Suddenly, a change came over the vision._

_Luke’s head jerked down towards the river. As he did so, the sky blackened with clouds, blocking out the twin suns. A look of determination came over his face. He began walking down the hillside. The woman with red hair grasped at his arm. He shook her off. Beneath Luke’s feet, the grass withered and died. He took his lightsaber from his belt._

_Down at the river, Ben and the girl looked up from their play._

_“Uncle Luke?” Ben said._

_Luke kept coming. Leaves died and fell from the trees around him. Ben looked between Luke and the girl._

_“No…” he said._

_Luke kept coming. His feet touched the water’s edge. Ben rushed at him. Luke gestured minimally and Ben was blasted back across the river. Luke faced the girl. She stood waist deep in the water. She just looked at him. Luke activated his lightsaber. The green glow fell over them both._

_Rey tried to move. Her feet seemed stuck to the ground. She could only watch._

_The girl shook her head, sadly it seemed. Luke advanced on her._

_Suddenly, they were elsewhere. Stone was under Rey’s feet, and all around. The interior of a temple. The walls were scored with burns and the floor was scattered with rubble._

_Luke was facing the girl again. This time, the emitter of his unactivated lightsaber was pressed to her stomach. She looked at him._

_“Luke,” she said. “Please.”_

_Luke activated the lightsaber. The green blade speared through her._

_Rey gasped._

_Across the chamber, Ben shouted. He ran for the girl, pulling her body to him._

_He looked up at Luke through his tears._

_“Why?” he said._

_Luke turned and walked away._

_Ben held the girl’s body in his arms, face buried in her hair. Rey tried to reach for him. But she was somewhere else again._

_She stood in a field of long grass and flowers blowing in a warm wind. Twin suns fell low on the horizon. Ben stood beside her. In the distance, a temple burned under the light of the setting suns._

_Rey turned her head. Behind them, an impossibly tall figure in dark robes loped through the flowers. It’s long, skeletal limbs swung as it walked._

_It placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder._

_“I can help you,” Snoke said._

Rey pulled away from Kylo. Her feet came out from under her and she hit the floor.

“You never should have let me into your temple,” Snoke said.

“I taught my students everyone deserves a second chance,” Luke said. “Even the darkest of souls.”

“Is that why you’ve come to me now, then? To save my soul?”

Luke shook his head gravely. “No.”

Snoke looked more closely at Luke. “You have changed. But it matters not. You’ve come here, to the secret heart of the First Order. The truth behind the pageantry and fiction. Behold, my Praetorian Guard. Each a master of his weapon. Each trained in the unparalleled crucible of my home country beyond the Veil.”

“Neat,” Luke said. “But I expected the Knights of Ren.”

“The Knights have better things to do. Even now they are scouring the galaxy for what's left of the Light. The wayward students, the dropouts, errant knights. They will die. And you will die. And no one will even know Luke Skywalker ever returned.” Snoke raised his hand and bits of machinery came floating from a compartment in the wall. Emitter shroud, diatium power cell, mountings, gold plating. The parts began to assemble themselves beside Snoke’s throne.

“This is your last warning,” Luke said. “Surrender, and order your forces to stand down. Or I will have no choice but to destroy you.”

“You have no weapon,” Snoke said. He gestured to his Guard and the weapons came out.

First was armed with an Adumari Blastsword, Second with a Vibro-Voulge polearm, Third with an oddly segmented sword that cracked with crimson electricity, Fourth a heavy Ultrachrome shield and a vibrosword, Fifth with a heavy, glaive like Electro-bisento, Sixth with an Electro-flail, Seventh with a double ended Vibro-arbir staff, and Eighth with a pair of spiked, electrified gauntlets.

“And you have no hope.” Snoke said.

“There’s always hope,” Luke said. He raised his hand slowly. The Guards flinched. Snoke went stiff in his chair. Nothing seemed to happen.

In the corner, by a computer terminal, a panel slid open on Artoo’s dome.

Luke continued to slowly move his hand upwards.

The Praetorians looked back at Snoke. He nodded once.

Second and Eighth hefted their weapons.

Luke held his hand still above his head.

The two Praetorian’s charged at Luke.

Luke twitched his finger slightly.

Artoo fired the object from his dome.

The Guard’s feet pounded on the floor.

Luke caught the object just as they reached him. He ignited his lightsaber. He dipped under Second’s polearm and slashed the green blade through a wide arc at waist height.

Two pairs of legs hit the ground on either side of Luke. Two severed torsos skidded across the floor.

Luke straightened and assumed a ready stance as the Praetorians fanned out around him.

The materials continued to assemble beside Snoke’s throne. The crystal, a gold gem came last, fitting inside. The gold plated casing closed around it. Snoke reached out and took his lightsaber from the air. He stood to his full height of three meters and activated the gold blade.

For a moment, all of them were still as the room was suffused with the hum of many weapons.

Then they all moved at once.

Luke slashed his blade up diagonally from his waist, catching and turning aside First’s Blastsword as it stabbed for his chest and blocking a blow from Fifth’s glaive above his shoulder. He parried Third’s sword as it came at him from behind on the backswing, then brought his blade back across his body to intercept one, two blows from Sixth’s flail. He rotated his wrist to the right, parrying a stab from Fourth, then to the left, blocking another blow from First, then brought his blade up over his head to catch Seventh’s double bladed staff. Luke took one step to the side, avoiding Seventh’s following straight thrust, and shoved him on the back as he went past, sending the guard stumbling forward. Luke twitched his head to the side minimally, avoiding a decapitating slice from Fifth's polearm, then parried First’s sword thrust blade-to-blade and turned the guard’s momentum to the side with a turn of the wrist, sending him stumbling past Luke. Seventh regained his balance and rushed back in. Luke blocked Third’s hard two-handed blow from the right, then angled his blade across his body to the left, catching Fourth’s shortsword before it stabbed into his flank, while thrusting his left hand in the opposite direction, holding back Third’s following strike with the Force. First found his balance and came back around. Luke tumbled forward, rolling over a swipe from Seventh at his ankles. He smacked aside a blow from Sixth’s flail from one knee, reversed his blade behind his back to block a stab at his spine from Fifth. Luke came up into a crouch, lightsaber held above his head as First, Third and Seventh all slammed their weapons down on his guard. Luke held all three of them back one-handed for a moment. Then he thrust his other hand up at the meeting of their weapons, hitting them with a blast of the Force that sent all three Praetorians reeling backwards, struggling to hold onto their weapons. Luke straightened, catching Seventh’s staff on his guard and forcing the tip to the ground. Fifth came in low, lashing his polearm’s haft at Luke’s legs. Luke jumped over that, turned the jump into a Force assisted spin that took him over Seventh’s head and ended with Luke’s boot coming down on Sixth’s helmet, knocking him to the ground. Luke landed in a crouch, slamming his palm into the floor and releasing a wave of the Force that blasted Fourth and Seventh off their feet.

While the Praetorians were all unbalanced, Snoke stepped in. He brought his golden blade down in an overhand slash from the apex of his gargantuan height. Luke parried high, turning his body to the side and slipping Snoke’s blade past him into the floor. Luke thrust his hand at Snoke. Snoke threw his shoulder into the Force push. He slid back a scant few meters across the floor. Luke went at Snoke, lightsaber raised. Fourth threw himself between them, blocking Luke’s blade on his ultrachrome shield. Snoke stepped back as the Praetorians rushed back at Luke.

Luke backpedaled towards the computer terminals as the Praetorians fanned out around him. They came in all at once. Luke backrolled over a holotable, slicing through its supports as he did so. He came down on the other side, Force pushing the table. It slammed into First, bowling him off his feet. Then the others were on him. Luke rolled his wrist, sending his blade through an arc that caught Third’s segmented sword and turned him and his momentum aside, sending him stumbling past Luke. Luke continued the swing to the side, blocking Fifth and Seventh’s weapons and holding them both in a lock. Luke shoved them both back, stepped to one side as Sixth lashed his flail at him from behind. Luke slashed at the flail’s chain, knocking the mace head to the side, and slammed his lightsaber’s hilt into Sixth’s faceplate. He stumbled back. Fourth blocked Luke’s blow on his shield.

Third, meanwhile, flicked a switch on his segmented sword’s handle. The segments unlocked and separated, revealing the weapon to be a chain sword. Luke slammed his blade down on Fifth’s polearm just below the blade, driving the tip into the floor. He ducked under a sweeping slash at his neck from Seventh, whirled and placed a spinning kick into Seventh’s back as he passed by that knocked him off his feet. Luke ended the spin with his boot planted on the tip of Fifth’s weapon, keeping it pinned to the floor as Luke slashed at Fifth’s face. Third lashed out his chain blade, wrapping it around Luke’s lightsaber before it could land. Sparks hissed as the chain’s electro-plasma filaments touched the lightsaber. Third tugged hard on the blade, pulling Luke off balance. Luke skipped backwards as Fourth slashed at his stomach. He Force pushed Fourth back several steps, the Praetorian’s feet struggling for purchase on the floor as he was forced back. Third yanked on the lightsaber again. Luke stumbled, narrowly avoiding a blow from Sixth’s flail. He kicked Sixth in the shin, knocking him down on one leg. Fifth rushed at him, spearing his polearm at Luke’s gut. Luke spun to the side at the last second, away from Third, extending the chain around his blade taut. Fifth ran into the chain, hitting it at neck level and slamming to the ground. Luke ducked under another blow from Sixth, struck him in the gut with his metal hand, doubling him over. Third yanked on the chain again. Luke pulled back, crouching and levering the chain over his shoulder, briefly catching Third off balance and yanking him towards Luke. Then Luke deactivated his lightsaber. Third stumbled forward, the chain blade falling slack. Luke reversed the hilt in his grip and reactivated it. The blade speared out behind him, impaling Third through the gut as he stumbled towards Luke. Luke, still crouched, slashed his blade reverse grip through Sixth’s leg, severing it at the knee. Luke came to his feet, flipped his lightsaber back around and slashed cleanly through Sixth’s throat. He dropped to the ground.

Luke faced the remaining four Praetorians. They fanned out around him again. Fifth snapped his double bladed staff apart into two short swords. As they rushed at Luke, Snoke extended his hand. Lighting swirled in his palm. He unleashed a blast of Force lightning at Luke. Luke caught it on his lightsaber, the blade crackling with energy. Luke lashed his lightsaber at First, throwing the absorbed lightning at him. The Praetorian was blasted off his feet. Luke smacked aside Fifth’s thrust with a spinning slash, brought his blade around to slam against Fourth’s shield in a shower of sparks. Luke stepped to the side as Seventh rushed at him with his dual blades. Luke grabbed Seventh’s leading arm in his metal grip, held the arm still as he brought his lightsaber around, severing Seventh’s hand at the wrist. Luke waved a hand and Seventh’s severed appendage, still gripping its glowing blade, was Force pushed into Fifth’s forehead, embedding there. Seventh fell forward, clutching at his wound, while Fifth dropped to the ground.

Luke parried a straight thrust from Fourth’s shortsword. Fourth lashed out with his shield. Luke blocked, but the weight of the shield knocked him back a step. First rushed at him. Luke blocked the blastsword’s crosscut at his neck. First fired the blastsword’s blaster barrel against Luke’s lightsaber in a shower of sparks, forcing Luke back a step. First fired again. Luke deflected the shot. Seventh regained his feet and rushed at Luke with his remaining hand and blade. Luke sent First’s next shot into Seventh’s chestplate, knocking him off balance. Luke tugged Seventh to him with a pull of the Force and stabbed him through the heart. He stepped to the side as Seventh’s body slid to the floor.

Fourth and First advanced on Luke. Luke parried one slash from First, two, then deflected a point blank shot from the blastsword. He levered First’s blade aside with a turn of the wrist and slashed at his face. Fourth smacked the blow aside with his shield. First came at Luke head on while Fourth circled behind him, using his shield as a wall to force Luke towards First’s sword. Luke looked between them. First rushed at him while Fourth pressed in from behind. Luke threw his lightsaber into the air. The blade winked out as it left his grip. Luke spun to the side, First’s thrust slicing through the narrow space between Luke’s arm and body. The lightsaber hilt tumbled through the air over Fourth’s shoulder. Luke ducked under First’s horizontal slash, one hand outstretched. The lightsaber stopped behind Fourth. Luke twitched one finger. The lightsaber activated, spearing through Fourth from behind. First brought his sword down. Luke rolled forward, past Fourth’s falling body. He caught his lightsaber out of the air. Luke spun, slashing a burning line across First’s stomach, then slashed up through his neck as he fell forward. First’s head bounced across the floor.

Luke faced Snoke across the body strewn floor.

Snoke raised one hand and two computer terminals were torn out of the floor. He gestured and they both flew at Luke. Luke waved the first aside, sending it crashing into a far corner. He thrust his hand at the second, meeting Snoke’s Force push and crushing the computer between them. It hung in the air briefly, then fell to the ground. They circled each other for a moment. Then they both moved.

Snoke slammed his blade down from his great height. Luke blocked with both hands, the force of the blow nearly knocking him off his feet. Snoke thrust a hand at Luke. The Force push sent cracks spider webbing across the floor between them. Luke’s robes blew back and his feet skidded on the floor. Luke planted his feet, halting himself. Then he took a step towards Snoke. Snoke let go of his lightsaber, leaving it hovering in the air beside him, and thrust his other hand at Luke. The wall behind him caved in as though it had been hit by a cannon blast. Luke held up one arm in front of himself. He took another step towards Snoke. As he pressed towards Snoke, Luke gestured with his other hand. The computer terminal lying in the corner shot at Snoke, slamming into his back. Snoke fell forward onto his hands and knees. As soon as the Force push cut off, Luke lept, the Force assisted jump taking him over Snoke’s head. Luke slashed down at Snoke’s skull at the apex of his leap. Snoke’s lightsaber returned to his hand as Snoke rolled onto his back, parrying the blow an inch from his face.

Luke hit the ground, sliced at Snoke’s knees. Snoke parried, brought himself to his feet with a tug of the Force. He caught Luke’s next blow and forced it aside.

Their blades flashed emerald and gold as they forced each other back and forth across the throne room. Luke parried another slash from Snoke, slipping aside and letting it hit the floor rather than taking the full brunt of it. Snoke dragged his blade across the floor into an underhand slash. Luke blocked, but the force of the blow knocked his lightsaber spinning from his hand. Luke thrust his hand out towards it even as he pushed his other at Snoke. Snoke slid back a few meters as the Force push hit him. Luke’s lightsaber stopped and flew back towards him. Snoke rushed at Luke again. Luke Force pushed him again. Snoke braced his feet, stopping dead but not being moved back. Snoke brought his blade down at Luke. Luke raised his bare hand in the motion of a parry. His lightsaber hit his palm and activated a second later, just in time to block Snoke’s blade. Luke jumped back as Snoke’s next blow slammed into the ground, jerked his hand at one of the fallen Praetorians. First’s blastsword came to Luke’s left hand. Luke caught Snoke’s slash on his lightsaber, fired the blastsword at Snoke. The shot hit him in the shoulder. Snoke grunted and waved his own hand at the corpses. Fifth’s polearm speared through the air at Luke. Luke smacked it aside with his lightsaber, brought the blastsword up to parry Snoke’s lightsaber. Snoke brought his blade crashing down on the sword once, twice. The third blow snapped the weapon in half. Luke dropped it, took his lightsaber in both hands and brought it around at Snoke’s waist.

Fourth’s shield came to Snoke’s off hand. He caught it in time to block Luke’s blade. Snoke released the shield, catching it suspended in the air between them with the Force. Snoke kicked the shield hard. It slammed into Luke’s chest, sending him flying the length of the room.

Snoke lept, augmenting his jump with the Force, and pointing his blade downwards with both hands to pin Luke to the floor. Luke rolled aside at the last moment, Snoke’s blade sinking up to the hilt into the floor and the floor itself buckling under his impact. Luke slashed at Snoke even as he rolled to his feet. Snoke pulled his blade up halfway out of the floor, enough to catch Luke’s blow, then yanked it out fully in a shower of melted stone. Snoke parried Luke’s slash at his neck from one knee, shoved Luke back and came to his feet. Snoke thrust his hand at Luke. A brilliant bolt of Force lightning blasted from his palm. Luke raised his lightsaber. The lightning bolt hit his guard. Sparks flew from the blade, electricity crackling up and down its length. Luke’s feet slid backwards under the force of the lightning. Snoke slid as well, as he applied more power. Stray bolts of lightning shot in every direction from Luke’s blade, several hitting the crimson curtains encircling the room. They were set ablaze. As flames ate their way across the walls, Snoke and Luke were pushed further apart by the force of the lightning. The floor between them began to char, then melt. Lightning coursed down Luke’s blade. Towards the hilt. Electricity hit the metal. The blade flickered.

“Stang,” Luke said. Then the lightsaber shut off.

Snoke thrust his other hand at Luke at the same time. Both bolts of Force lightning hit Luke in the chest, blowing him across the length of the room. He hit the wall hard. It buckled, raining rubble down atop him.

“For all your power,” Snoke said, lowering his arms and breathing heavily. “You are still ignorant of the manifold weapons of the Dark Side. And thus defenseless.”

The rubble began to levitate off of Luke. He stood slowly, electricity crackling across his body.

“Not anymore,” Luke said, and fired the Force lightning back at Snoke.

Snoke threw up his hands in front of himself, catching the lightning on a barrier of the Force.

Luke extended his hand towards Artoo again and motioned with his fingers. The machinery inside the droid’s dome rotated, and he fired another lightsaber hilt into the air. Luke caught it with the Force and pulled it towards him. He activated Vader’s blade while it was still in the air with a flick of his finger. The crimson blade hit Snoke from behind, carving a burning gash through his flank before coming to Luke’s hand. Snoke fell forward, one hand clasped over the wound, the other catching himself before he hit the floor. Luke called his other lightsaber to his off hand. The green blade flickered and sparked as it activated.

Luke advanced on Snoke, both blades humming.

Snoke forced himself back up, brought his lightsaber down on Luke. He blocked with the green blade, drove the red into Snoke’s shoulder. Snoke reeled back, smoke leaking from the wound. Luke slashed the green blade at Snoke. Snoke parried, and Luke stabbed the red blade into Snoke’s thigh while his blade was occupied. Snoke dropped down on his other knee. Luke slashed the green blade at Snoke’s neck, which was still higher than Luke’s head. Snoke caught the blade on his own. Luke drove Vader’s lightsaber into Snoke’s gut.

Snoke looked down at the red blade piercing through his body, seeming more surprised than anything else. Then he thrust both hands at Luke, unleashing a massive blast of the Force that sent Luke skidding away across the floor. Snoke sagged. He gestured weakly at the doors. They slid open. He made a tugging motion and one of his female attendants stumbled into the throne room. She was a Zabrak. She also had no less than three high explosives strapped to her body. Snoke flicked a finger and all of them armed. Then he stumbled for the door.

Luke looked between the woman and Snoke.

He went for the woman.

“Idiot,” Snoke muttered. He flicked his finger again even as he stumbled through the doors.

Luke thrust his hand at her just as the bombs detonated. They didn’t explode. Luke kept his arm held up. His fingers were shaking.

“Hi, there,” Luke said as he approached her slowly. “I’m Luke.”

“I…” Her voice faltered as she looked down at the bombs. “I know.”

“Don’t look at those. Look at me.”

Her hand moved towards one of the bombs.

“Don’t move, please.” Luke said, continuing to walk towards her. “The bombs have already detonated, I'm just containing the explosions.”

A look of horror came over her face.

“Stay calm. You’re going to be fine,” Luke said. “What’s your name?”

“I-Illena.”

“Nice to meet you.” Luke reached her. Light began to leak from one of the bombs through cracks forming in its casing. Luke clenched his fingers tighter. “Where are you from?”

“Iridonia. J-just off the Scalen Falls.”

“Nice place. I broke up a band of marauders near there once.” Luke circled her, examining the bombs.

“Am-am I going to die?”

“Of course not.” Luke came to a stop. He took a deep breath. “Okay. I need you to close your eyes and cover your ears.”

She nodded shakily and did as he said.

“Ready?” Luke said.

She shook her head.

“Here goes.” He flicked his finger and the bombs unclasped. He flung them across the room with a push of the Force, put himself between Illena and them in the same motion. Then he let go of the bombs. The explosion shook the room. Shrapnel bounced away from them as Luke held his hands towards the blast.

He lowered his hands.

“You-you’re really a Jedi,” she stammered.

“On a good day. Now, listen to me carefully. Very shortly this ship is going to come into orbit around an inhabited planet. When they start evacuating this ship, get planetside and find the first transport going to Republic space. Don’t look back. Got all that?”

“I guess. But… why would we evacuate the ship?”

Luke smiled slightly, “Leave that to me. Come on Artoo.”  
Luke and Artoo left the Throne room.

“Well, was that enough of a distraction?” Luke asked Artoo.

Artoo warbled at him critically.

“It’s not my fault he started throwing the computers around,” Luke said defensively. “Did you get Snoke’s command codes?”

Artoo whistled an affirmative.

“Well done. Can you believe he really thought I came all this way just to pick a fight with him? I’m not twenty years old anymore.”

Artoo rolled over to a terminal and plugged in.

“Everything set up?” Luke said.

Artoo beeped yes.

“Good. Then let’s take this ship down.”

**The** **_Conqueror_ **

Rey sat up slowly in the darkness. Close by, Kylo Ren was sitting up as well, one hand to his head.

Rey threw her arms around him before he could fully rise.

“I’m sorry,” she said close to his ear. “I didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kylo said. “Now let me up.”

Rey let him go.

“Are we done fighting?” she asked.

“I am if you are.”

They sat in silence for a moment, cataloging their respective wounds.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Rey said. “I’m sorry she’s dead, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a Sith. You don't have to be like Luke.”

“You think _Luke’s_ a…” Kylo chuckled. “Skywalker’s a lot of things, but he isn’t a Sith. Neither am I.”

“But… Red lightsaber. Dark side.”

“That doesn’t make me a Sith. Snoke isn't one either. A Sith is something… Very specific. Something you don’t ever want to meet. You must already know that.”

“But… then why did Luke…?” Rey trailed off. “What do you mean, I must already know that? I don’t understand any of this.”

“I told you before, it goes both ways. While you were in my head, I saw into yours, Rey. I saw everything. I’m so sorry.”

“What are you talking about? What did you see?”  
“You… you really don’t know? You don’t remember?”  
“Remember _what_?”

Kylo opened his mouth to answer. Then he clutched his stomach. He pitched forward.

Snoke staggered into the wall in one of the _Supremacy_ ’s corridors, hand on the wound in his stomach. He reached for his commlink. It fell from his slackening fingers. Snoke slid to the floor, scrambling for the commlink. His breath came in ragged gasps.

“No…” he muttered to himself. “No… Not like this.”

He took the commlink and held it to his mouth.

“This… this is the Supreme Leader…” he shook with coughs, “I… I require… Require… Help...” he dropped the commlink.

Then Snoke died.

Rey caught Kylo in her arms as he fell.

“What is it? Did I hurt you?”

“Snoke,” Kylo said tightly. “Snoke just died.”

“Good riddance. I don’t care if he’s a Sith or not. He’s evil.”

“No! You don’t understand.” Kylo pushed her away. “I need him alive!”

Han Solo ran into the hangar. The _Millennium Falcon_ was waiting for him.

“There you are,” he said, smiling.

Leia, Hera, and their soldiers burst onto the _Conqueror_ ’s bridge.

“Hands in the air,” Leia ordered, keeping her blaster trained on the officers. “You’re being hijacked.”

“Madame, I don’t know what you think you’re playing at,” the _Conqueror_ ’s captain said as Leia trained her blaster on him. “There is no possible way out of this. You can’t just _steal_ a Star Destroyer.”

“We just did.” Leia motioned with her blaster. “Step away from the controls.”

The captain looked at Leia’s gun. He looked down at the controls. He took a deep breath.  
“Don’t,” Leia said.

“For the Supreme Leader!” The captain shouted. He shot the controls.

Leia stunned him.

“What’s the damage?” Leia asked as Hera ran to the control panel.

Hera looked up, stricken. “He shot the navi-computer.”

Leia sighed. “That’s going to complicate things.” She activated her commlink. “Admiral Ackbar, are you aboard?”

“Only just,” Ackbar said. “Shall we remotely detach the _New Hope_?”

“Negative. Leave it where it is. I think we’re going to need it.”

“Princess,” Hera said. “I don’t think you understand.”  
Leia held up a hand and switched the commlink to another channel. “Honey, are you on the _Falcon_?”

“Leia, _what did they do to my ship_?” Han shouted over the comm. “When I get my hands on that hairball-”

“Not now, honey. I need you to take the _Falcon_ out of the hangar. It’s going to get bumpy and that's the last place you want to be.”  
“If I can get her off the ground. All the controls are in the wrong-”  
“Han, please. You remember the old Alliance base in the Crait System? Meet us there.”

“You got it.”

“ _Princess_ ,” Hera cut in. “The navi-computer is wrecked. It can point us in the right direction but it can’t plot a course. We’re not going anywhere. I’m sorry. We can’t get out.”

“Don't be ridiculous, Hera. There’s always a way out. A direction is all we need.”

“Princess, space is full of stars and asteroids and planets. If we don’t plot a course we’ll fly right into something. We’ll fly into _everything_.”

“I’m well aware.” Leia gestured at a First Order officer. “You. You’re the commanding officer now.”

“That-that isn't the command structure…” the officer stammered.

“Hush. Does this ship have manual controls?”

“ _Manual_ …? All ships do but… No one’s ever _used_ them. That would be completely insane, even with a working navi-computer.”

“We’re rather desperate,” Leia said. “Show me.”

The officer brought up the flight stick from a console in the corner.

Leia looked it over. “I can work with this.”

“Princess,” Hera hissed. “You can’t fly a _Star Destroyer_ manually through _hyperspace_ without a navi-computer. You’d have to avoid hundreds of thousands of stars and planets coming at us at the speed of light. I don't care who you are. We’re all going to die. It just isn’t possible.”

Leia sat down at the controls. She placed her hands on them. “Hera, among other surnames, I’m a Skywalker. Impossible is what we do.” Leia pointed at the main controls. “Give me the engines. Point us at Crait.”

Hera sighed deeply, “I need to take up drinking.” she activated the engines, “Okay, we’re as ready as we’re ever going to be.”

Leia took a deep breath. Her hands tightened on the controls, “It’s just a few hundred thousand stars and planets. How hard can it be?” she closed her eyes. “Everyone please be quiet. I’m going to need complete concentration.”

The bridge went silent, save for a few First Order officers praying quietly to the Emperor.

“Punch it,” Leia said.

The _Conqueror_ jumped into hyperspace.


	12. Peace

The _Millenium Falcon_ left the hangar at the last second.

Rey and Kylo Ren were thrown into the wall as the Star Destroyer jerked forward violently.

In the mess hall, Finn, Poe and Chewbacca stumbled, grabbing hold of tables and chairs to keep their balance. Even after the initial jump, the ship continued to shake. Not just shake but vibrate and jerk back and forth under their feet as though alive.

On the bridge, Leia's eyes were closed and her hands moved the stick nonstop. Course correcting the ship as it moved through hyperspace a dozen times every few moments.

Lower on the ship, Phasma and her escort were thrown against the walls.

Phasma took her chance.

"Armor override, Code: IXX234. Activate," she said, and the two Death Troopers flanking her fell forward, armor locking at the joints.

"Binders unlock, Code: 1324YH. Activate." Phasma's binders dropped off. 

She slammed her elbow into one stormtrooper's helmet, knocking him against the wall, kicked another in the chest, knocking him stumbling into two others. Phasma took the blaster pistol from the first stormtrooper's belt, flipped it to stun and fired one, two, three, times. The remaining stormtroopers hit the ground.

"I'm sorry," Phasma said. "But you should have believed in me. You were supposed to have my back no matter what."

She rushed away.

In the engine room, Zeb held tight to a railing as the entire room vibrated around him.

"Sir, I don't know what's going on up on the bridge, but the engines don't like it," a technician reported. "If I didn't know any better I'd say someone was trying to pilot this thing manually."

"Just keep it online," Zeb ordered.

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"Emperor's black bones, they actually did it," Hux muttered as the _Conqueror_ jumped to lightspeed. "Do we have their transponder signal?"

"Tracking now," a bridge officer said.

"Pursuit course," Hux ordered. "Run them down. We still have men aboard that ship."

**The Crait System**

The _Conqueror,_ with the _New Hope_ still attached, dropped out of Hyperspace. The bone-white surface of Crait loomed in the viewport.

"Just like dodging blaster bolts," Leia said, releasing the controls and slumping slightly.

"Princess, that was amazing," Hera breathed. "I can't believe that actually worked."

"Me neither." Leia looked up suddenly. She sighed. "We're not done yet."

Sparks began flying from the control panels as she spoke.

"Zeb," Hera said into her commlink, "What's going wrong down there?"

"Every damn thing!" Zeb snapped over the line. Things seemed to be exploding somewhere nearby. "Our power cells don't agree with First Order engines, we took the systems from cold to full power too fast, whatever kind of flying we just did burned out half the relays."

"Ma'am!" a Resistance soldier called from the main controls. "We came out too close to the gravity well of the planet. We're being pulled down."

"Divert all power to the engines. Take it from life support if you have to. Keep us in the air," Hera ordered.

"Don't bother," Leia said. "We need to get down to the Alliance base somehow."

"We're landing the Star Destroyer, aren't we?" Hera said.

"We're landing the Star Destroyer." Leia grabbed the controls again as the ship dipped into the atmosphere.

Flame blossomed across the hull.

"We don't have shields!" Hera said as every gauge on the console red-lined.

Bits of the hull began peeling away.

Leia manipulated the controls, her eyes sliding shut again. The _Conqueror_ began to turn sidelong, putting it's port side, and the docked bulk of the _New Hope,_ planetward. The _New Hope_ 's hull lit up as it broke the atmosphere ahead of the _Conqueror_.

"We have thrusters," Hera called to Leia.

"Keep them on standby," Leia said calmly, eyes still closed. "If we fire them going at these speeds we'll tear the ship in half. Wait for my mark."

Below, Crait's arid surface gleamed with reflected sunlight.

"Ackbar," Leia said into the comm. "Do you still have remote access to the _New Hope_?"

"Affirmative," Ackbar said.

"Detach now."

The _New Hope_ 's docking clamps detached. The two ships separated. The _Conqueror_ 's plunge leveled off slightly without the other ship's mass.

"Thrusters one and two, fire," Leia said.

The two thrusters on the Star Destroyer's starboard fired, righting the ship, prow pointed at the planet's surface.

"Cut one and two. Fire six and eight."

The thrusters fired on the ship's underbelly, pushing against the ship's terminal dive.

"It's not enough," Hera said. "We're still going to hit prow first."

The surface loomed in the viewport. Somewhere below and behind, the _New Hope_ made landfall, crashing to the planet's surface with an explosion that reduced the ship to flame and shrapnel.

"Fire five and seven."

The thrusters fired along side the others on the ship's underbelly. Slowly, grudgingly, the prow began to lift. The sharp cracks of stress fractures spiderwebbed across the hull as the ship's inertia fought with the lift of the thrusters.

"Fire all ventral thrusters," Leia said.

"But the stress on the hull. We'll snap in half," Hera said.

"Do it." 

All the thrusters on the underside of the ship fired.

The hull groaned. Deep in the bowels of the ship, things began to snap.

Leia let go of the controls with one hand. She extended it towards the viewport. Or maybe the whole Star Destroyer outside. It didn't snap in half.

The dusty surface of Crait swirled as the firing thrusters skimmed the ground. Then the _Conqueror_ 's underbelly hit the ground. The ship jolted as though it had been hit by a broadside.

"Cut ventral thrusters. Fire forward thrusters," Leia said tightly. Her brow was furrowed and her outstretched fingers were shaking.

The forward thrusters fired. The Star Destroyer's skid across the flat surface slowed. Ahead loomed the jagged mountain range the Alliance base was built into.

After a few moments, it stopped.

Everyone on the bridge let out a breath.

Leia lowered her hand. She slumped in her chair.

"Did..." Hera pointed out at the hull. "Did you...?"

"I prefer not to think about it." Leia wiped a thin trail of blood from her nose. "Would you mind taking over operations for a moment? I think I need a minute."

"Of course." Hera got on the comms. "All forces, we've landed on Crait. Deploy off of this deathtrap and set up outside. There's still stormtroopers on this thing."

**The** **_Supremacy_ ** **. Detention Wing**

The door to Wedge Antilles' cell slid open. Luke Skywalker walked in. He waved his hand and Wedge's binders fell away.

"Hey, Wedge," Luke said.

"Hey, Luke." he slumped forward out of the bindings. Luke caught him before he hit the floor.

Wedge looked up at Luke. "You look terrible, man."

Luke smiled. "Likewise." he helped Wedge to his feet.

"And it's about damn time," Wedge said.

In the corridor outside, the floor was littered with unconscious stormtroopers. Luke quickly freed the rest of Rogue Squadron.

"It's really him." Tallie whispered to Wedge. "He's so short."

"Don't bring it up. He's sensitive about it," Wedge whispered back.

Alarms were blaring around the _Supremacy_.

"All hands, report to escape shuttles. Evacuation in progress," An automated voice said over the shipwide comms.

"What's the plan, Luke? We have to take this thing out while we have the chance." Wedge said.

"There are millions of innocent people here. We can't blow it up," Luke said dismissively. "I've been responsible for enough death in my lifetime already."

"But Luke, you don't understand the situation-"

"I understand perfectly, Wedge. Trust me. I've taken care of everything."

Artoo warbled indignantly.

"Okay, Artoo's taken care of most of it," Luke said, patting the droid on the dome. "Let's get moving. We don't want to be on this ship when it leaves."

Luke and the pilot's rushed out of the detention wing.

On the _Supremacy_ 's bridge, Admiral Daala was losing control of her ship.

The thousands of secondary power cores scattered around the ship were jettisoning into space. Bulkhead doors were slamming shut around the ship and the crew was rushing to enter escape pods due to the automated alert system.

"What in the name of the Emperor's soul is happening?" Daala demanded. "Someone stop this!"

"There's nothing we can do, ma'am," a bridge officer said. "Whoever got into the system has the Supreme Leader's command codes. Executive override. They can do whatever they want."

Daala lowered her head into her hands briefly. "Dictatorships," she muttered. "Do we have eyes on the Supreme Leader?"

"There aren't any security cams in his private chambers. Supreme Leader's orders."

"Of _course_ there aren't. Find him. We're not losing the Supreme Leader on my watch. And where is Skywalker?" 

Luke and the pilots rushed down the _Supremacy_ 's massive hallways. The urban sprawl of the ship's residential decks were visible through the viewports lining the wall.

The walls rumbled as the engines began powering up.

"Artoo left them enough fuel for one jump," Luke said as they ran.

"Is it too much to hope there's a star on the other end?" Wedge said.

"A First Order planet."

"Luke, we can't win the war like this."

"Then we don't deserve to win at all."

They rounded the corner into a group of stormtrooper's going the opposite direction. The Trooper's unholstered their blasters.

Luke sent all of them crashing into the wall with a Force push. He made a tugging motion and their weapons flew out of their hands. Rogue squadron picked them up and kept moving.

"It really is nice to have you back," Wedge said.

"Ma'am," A bridge officer said in halting tones.

"What?" Daala demanded. "Spit it out."

He motioned her over and pointed at a camera feed on his console. Snoke's body was lying in a hallway. He wasn't moving.

Daala went silent for a moment. "Deploy a medical unit immediately. And..." she lowered her voice. "Speak of this to no one."

"Ma'am," another officer said. "We have Skywalker and the prisoners in the hangar. Forces are in pursuit."

Luke backpedaled, lightsaber moving in a green blur before him as blaster fire rained down on him. The pilots rushed into the empty hangar.

"Hyperdrive equipped ships only," Wedge told them as they rushed for the docked ships.

Luke continued deflecting with one hand, raised his other towards a TIE hanging from a maintenance rig near the ceiling. The cables snapped and it fell. Luke caught it with the Force and sent it slamming down in front of the hangar doors, blocking them with twisted metal.

The pilots began climbing into and powering up the hyperdrive equipped TIE special forces fighters, one to a ship.

Luke ran over to his X-wing. He tore off the clamps binding it to the floor with a wave of his hand.

The _Supremacy_ continued to rumble as the engines primed.

"We need to get to the Resistance's secondary rendezvous," Wedge said. "If anyone survived, that's where they'll be."

"I don't think so," Luke said, "Leia was very close by a little while ago."

"Can you find them?"

"Possibly."

The doors on the other side of the hangar slid open and stormtroopers began rushing into the hangar.

"Get out of here," Luke said, blade buzzing and sending blaster bolts slamming into the walls. "I'll try to contact you once I find them."

Rogue Squadron lifted off in the TIEs, blaster fire bouncing off the hulls. They shot out of the hangar.

Luke lept atop his X-wing, still deflecting shots. Artoo opened the canopy and he dropped in. Luke took the X-wing up and blasted out of the hangar.

The _Supremacy_ jumped into hyperspace behind him.

As Luke set the navi-computer for where he'd sensed Leia last, Artoo sent an alert across the screen.

In all the confusion, Luke hadn't sensed it.

Luke threw out both hands and closed his eyes just as the explosive planted on the bottom of the X-wing detonated.

**Crait. The** **_Conqueror_ **

Rey shook her head and got to her feet. Sunlight was streaming down from a rupture in the ceiling high above, revealing the cargo pit they'd fallen into. The entire room seemed to be at an angle.

Kylo was at the top, several meters up.

"Ben, wait," Rey called.

He rushed away.

Rey looked up the length of the sheer metal walls. She took a deep breath and tried to jump, calling on the Force. She made it about halfway up, before falling back down to the hard deck plating. She grunted and sat up. Before she could try again, Finn poked his head over the edge.

"Rey? Are you okay?"

"Better now."

Finn threw a line down to her, and with Poe's help, pulled her out.

Finn handed Rey her lightsaber. "Kept this warm for you."

Rey touched his bruised face. "You should have been more worried about your face."

Finn put his hand over hers. "It's feeling better all of a sudden."

"Ugh," Poe said. "Come on, you two."

The Resistance forces were assembling outside the Star Destroyer on the salt flats. Several groups of men were welding the hatches on the ship shut behind them, while others set up portable computer stations and hauled stolen crates of First Order weapons and supplies.

Rey, Finn and Poe were the last out.

"We've got most of the First Order soldiers trapped in there," Ackbar was telling Leia, who was sitting on a crate, the picture of exhaustion. "But they won't be stuck for long. And the _Finalizer_ will be on the way. We need to mobilize our forces and get to the Alliance base."

"Mm-hmm," Leia said, practically bleeding exhaustion.

"That was a hell of a feat, Princess," Ackbar added. "The Force really is with you."

"Tell that to my headache."

"Ma'am!" a technician called from where they were setting up the portable stations. "We have contact on the scanners! It's the Republic!"

As he spoke, ships began dropping out of hyperspace and coming down into the atmosphere. They were led by the Viscount-class Star Defender _Wild Hunt_ , captained by Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. It was flanked by two Mediator-class battlecruisers, as well as several Bothan Assault cruisers and Corellian Corvettes.

A cheer went up from the Resistance forces as the ships came into sight in the clear sky above.

"We're receiving a transmission!" the technician called.

Leia made to rise.

"Rest," Ackbar said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I will handle this. With this many ships on our side I almost hope the First Order tracks us here. It'll be my pleasure to kick them all the way back to the Unknown Regions."

Leia seemed about to protest. Then she slumped and let out an exhausted sigh. "Go ahead."

Ackbar made his way across the long expanse of salt towards the holoprojector the technician had just set up. His boots crunched in the salt granules. A brisk wind whipped across the flats, sending up tiny whirls of salt. Beneath the white salt was another, red mineral that painted the salt red as blood as it danced in the air.

Hera and Zeb directed troops on the other side of the Resistance's setup. Poe went over to Leia while Rey and Finn sat down on a crate beside Chewbacca. BB-8 rolled over to Threepio.

Ackbar reached the holoprojector. Amilyn Holdo, with her lavender dyed hair, appeared on the small projector.

"Vice Admiral Holdo," Ackbar said. "We can't begin to describe how happy we are to see you. You've arrived in the defintion of the nick of time. I'm sending you our position."

"Received," Holdo said. "Is Leia... is the Princess there?"

"Yes. She's fine, she's simply resting."

Holdo closed her eyes briefly. "That's... That's... Good to hear. Very good indeed."

"I'm sure she will be very happy to see you again. Shall I have her come over?"

"No. No. that will be quite... quite alright. Yes." her voice lowered and she looked away from the projector. "Quite alright."

Ackbar looked at her closely. "Amilyn?"

She looked back at the projector. Her cheeks were glistening. "Forgive me, Admiral. Please forgive me."

Ackbar stood stock still for a moment. Then he whirled.

"Princess! Princess, it's a-"

The turbolaser blast hit the holoprojector. It, and everything near it, was incinerated. A plume of crimson stained salt shot into the air from the blast. It slowly drifted down to the ground.

For a moment, there was silence. Leia gasped, hand clutched to her heart as she felt Ackbar pass.

"No..." she whispered.

Then the rest of the Republic ships opened up on the Resistance position.

Rey thrust out her hand, Force pushing Poe and Leia a half dozen meters across the salt, an instant before a laser bolt slammed into the ground right where they'd been.

More laser bolts hit the ground, sending up plumes of salt and red crystal with every blast. And sending charred bodies falling to the ground. A dozen men died in the first barrage.

Hera hit the ground, one of her head tails blown off.

**The** **_Wild Hunt_ **

Amylin Holdo's hands gripped the railing tightly as the bridge was lit up by laser fire.

"No one look away," she told the crew. "I want all of you to remember what we did here."

"Vice Admiral Holdo," Hux said from the holoprojector behind her as the _Finalizer_ came into the system. "Remember your government's deal with Kylo Ren. Our sleeper agents are prepared to strike from the heart of your population centers. The Resistance dies here, today, on this desolate rock. And the War is over. And at long last there is peace in our galaxy."

"I know." Holdo said. She didn't look at him. She watched through tear-thick eyes as the Resistance was slaughtered below.

Poe opened his eyes and sat up, crimson dust falling off of him. A charred body hit the ground beside him with a dull thump. Poe scrambled to his feet. He pointed at the Alliance base set into the mountainside, far across the salt flats.

"The base-" his voice failed him. He coughed. "The base!" he called. "Everyone get to the base!"

Laser bolts continued to hit the ground, throwing up plumes of red.

Leia hadn't moved since she'd hit the ground. Chewbacca scooped her up with one arm as he ran by.

Rey pulled Finn to his feet.

Zeb grabbed Hera, clamping his hand over the stump of her head tail.

They and the ragged Resistance soldiers ran for the Alliance base.

As the Republic ships repositioned to aim their cannons back on them, they launched a squadron of T-85 X-wings.

The _Finalizer_ came into the atmosphere. It launched a wing of TIEs. The TIEs and the Republic X-wings met in the sky and formed into one squadron. They dove for the fleeing Resistance.

**The** **_Wild Hunt_ **

"Ma'am," an X-wing pilot said over the comms. "I have a clean shot on those TIEs."

"Do not engage," Holdo said. "Stay on task."

One Resistance soldier didn't join the others. He ran in the opposite direction, towards the weapons crates. He pulled a rocket launcher from one and fired it. It took out a TIE fighter. Before he could fire again, laser fire from the fighters lanced down on him. The weapons crates exploded as they were hit. The soldier was consumed in the explosion.

The Resistance ran across the salt flats.

The TIEs and X-wings came down into an attack run.

A barrage of laser fire hit the soldiers from above and behind.

Five fell on the first pass.

As the fighters came around, six soldiers stopped and spun, firing on the ships. Most of the shots went far wide. The ones that did hit had little effect.

The men were cut down by laser fire.

"Keep going!" Poe shouted.

Laser fire hit the ground on all sides of them, sending up puffs of red crystal.

The fighters took out another dozen men; then they were over the Resistance soldiers and swung around again.

Only half the men were left by now.

Rey looked at the hundreds of meters still between them and the open gates of the base. She looked back at the fighters. She slowed, falling to the back of the group.

Then she stopped and turned.

The fighters came around, hulls glinting in the sun.

Rey activated her lightsaber.

"All forces," Hux said over the comms. "Target the Jedi. Destroy her."

Rey held her lightsaber in a defensive stance.

Finn looked all around him. "Rey?" then he looked over his shoulder. "Rey!"

He turned.

Poe grabbed him by the arm. "She knows what she's doing. Keep going!"

"I can do this," Rey whispered to herself.

Then the fighters came into range.

Laser fire lanced at Rey.

The first few shots fell short, but then the pilot's found the range.

Rey blocked the first laser bolt. The force of it jarred the lightsaber in her grip and sent her stumbling backwards. Rey found her footing in time to block another laser bolt, stumbling again. Laser bolts continued to rain down around her, throwing up puffs of crimson. The impact of each deflected shot shook Rey's body like a blow. Her arms shook, her legs wobbled. Chips of rock thrown up from the ground cut at her and the heat of the laser bolts seared her skin with every close call. She fell backwards as she blocked the next shot, catching herself on one hand. She came to her feet, blocking another laser bolt. Still off balance, the force of the shot spun her around and sent her slamming to the ground on her knees. Rey angled her blade behind her back, catching the next shot blind. And when the laser bolt hit, it sent her blade rebounding into her back. Rey cried out and fell forward, a livid burn across her back. Rey rolled onto her back, blocking the barrage from the ground. Laser fire hit the ground on all sides of her. The impact of each laser bolt on her lightsaber forced Rey a little deeper into the salt, while more shots tore at the ground around her, until Rey lay in a tiny crater. Rey's forearms shook as the laser fire hammered down on her. Each blast rebounded her blade closer and closer to her face. Most of the fighters had gone past her. The last X-wing fired one final shot. Rey's blade was pushed back into her face for a moment before she was able to pull it away.

Finn heard her scream from a hundred meters away. "Rey!" he shouted, turning again.

Chewbacca caught him by the collar with his free hand and dragged him towards the base. The first soldiers reached the massive threshold carved into the mountain and rushed inside.

"The door controls!" Poe shouted as they rushed into the dusty interior, full of antique Rebellion era consoles. The technicians began brushing the dust off the computers and getting them online.

The fighters came around for another pass.

"Finish her," Hux said.

Rey scrambled for her footing as the fighters closed in, one hand pressed to her face.

In one of the X-wings, the pilot's hands shook. "I can't do this," he said. "Breaking off."

The X-wing left formation, swinging around in a wide arc and coming at the squadron from behind. He made weapons lock on a TIE.

"Lieutenant Alveron," Holdo said over the comm. "Stand down immediately. I can't allow you to compromise the treaty."

"No can do, ma'am. That's a Jedi down there. No way."

On the _Wild Hunt_ 's bridge, Holdo steeled herself.

"Target anti-fighter cannons," she said.

"Ma'am?" The gunner said. "Is that your order?"

"It is. Fire."

A single shot rang out.

The X-wing was blown from the sky.

Rey took her lightsaber in both hands as the fighters closed in.

"We have power!" a technician called from the base's interior. "We can lower the doors."

Poe held up a hand from the threshold. "Wait."

Rey ran for the base.

As the fighters came into range, she turned, blocked one shot, stumbled, kept running.

The majority of the fighters got a lock on her and opened up.

Rey turned again. She blocked one shot, three, six. The seventh blew her blade from her shaking fingers. Rey thrust her hand out, calling it back to her without thinking. The hilt was blackened but the blade still sprang to life.

Rey blocked as she ran.

"Rey!" Finn called from the threshold. "You're almost there."

Chewbacca set Leia down and unslung his bowcaster. He sighted up and fired. The shot tore through a TIE's cockpit and sent it crashing to the ground.

Laser fire rained down around Rey. She stumbled under the impacts, fell forward. She landed on one knee, spun to block another shot. Three more slammed into her guard rapidly, knocking her onto her back.

Finn and the other soldiers at the threshold opened fire on the fighters.

Rey blocked from the ground, pushing herself backwards in slow increments towards the door with her feet. Her fingers blistered under the heat of the laser bolts. Jagged rocks tore into her back.

"Rey!" Finn called to her. "Rey, the salt!"

Rey turned her head towards him. Small plumes of red-stained salt were still being thrown up by the impacts of the laser bolts.

Then Rey understood and slammed her palm into the ground. The Force left her in a burst, sending a cloud of crimson particulates into the air. Suddenly the fighters were firing into the cloud blind.

Rey scrambled to her feet, holding her blade before her in the red haze with one hand, shielding her eyes with the other. Laser bolts streaked through the cloud on all sides. Several went into the base, hitting the consoles in a shower of sparks.

"The doors," Poe said. "Now."

The massive blast door began to lower.

Finn looked between Rey stumbling through the cloud, and the slowly lowering door.

Then he ran out into the cloud.

Rey stumbled, falling forward. Finn reached her in time to catch her. He dragged Rey inside as the blast door closed.

Darkness fell over the interior of the base. Laser fire hammered into the door briefly before the fighters were forced to break off.

Dim lights guttered to life in the corners.

Silence fell as well.

The few surviving medics rushed to the wounded.

Finn lowered Rey down on a bench in the corner.

"Rey, it's okay." he placed his hand over hers, which was still clutching the lightsaber's hilt. "You did it. You can let go now."

She didn't let go.

Finn took her fingers and peeled them away from the hilt as gently as he could. Strips of her skin came with it. The hilt was searing to the touch. Finn dropped it.

He looked her over for serious wounds. "Rey, can you tell me if anything hurts?"

"Finn," she said distantly. "I think something's wrong."

"A lot of things are wrong. Did you get hit anywhere?"

"Finn," Rey's head was lowered and her hair was fallen over her face. "I can't see anything."

Finn went silent for a moment, and dead still.

Finn raised her head as calmly as he was able. He smoothed her hair back off her face. Where her lightsaber had been forced back against her face, there was a livid burn. Right across Rey's eyes.

"It's okay, Rey," Finn said quietly. "Your eyes are just closed."

She raised her hands to touch her face. "I don't think so..."

Finn caught her wrist and lowered her hand back to her lap gently. "It's fine. I'm just going to call a medic to make sure." he waved for a medic.

"You don't have to lie, Finn. It doesn't hurt."

"I'm fine," Leia said, shrugging the medic away. "Go look at her."

The medic rushed over.

He looked at Rey's eyes. He ran a scanner over them.

"Well?" Finn said.

The medic looked between Rey and Finn.

"It's okay," Rey said. "Tell me."

"If I had access to proper facilities the damage wouldn't be permanent," the medic said. "But... these are not proper facilities. I'll see if I can find some bacta. If I can't... I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do."

"What do you mean there isn't anything you can do?" Finn demanded. "You're supposed to be a medic. _Help her_."

Rey patted Finn's arm. "It's okay. Let him go do his job."

"I'm sorry," The medic said. Then he rushed off to his next patient.

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"The base is heavily shielded, both by a generator and by that door," Hux said to Holdo over the holoprojector. "However, between our combined firepower and a sufficient amount of ground artillery, we should be able to breach it."

"They're already beaten," Holdo said. "The Resistance is finished. Just let them surrender."

"You know as well as I do they won't. They are fanatics. The only way to end this is their utter destruction. My orders are clear. They all die. Especially Organa and the Jedi." He regarded Holdo. "Remember, their lives for the lives of everyone who will be spared this war."

"I know," Holdo said quietly. "Force help me, I know."

"I'm glad we agree." Hux turned to an officer. "Deploy walkers. And someone find Kylo Ren."

"Oh, hello, Master Ben," Threepio said. Most of his chassis was buried under salt.

Kylo dragged Threepio out. One of the droid's legs was missing.

"Oh, dear. This is all just awful, isn't it?" Threepio said.

"Yes," Kylo said.

First Order transports came down from the _Finalizer_. They hovered low over the salt flats and began unloading hulking All Terrain MegaCaliber Six walkers. Other craft brought down a number of antique AT-ATs and AT-STs that flanked the AT-M6s as they marched on the Rebel base.

"I don't mean to impose, Master Ben, but surely there is something you can do about this appalling mess. Isn't there?" Threepio said.

"Maybe," Kylo said. "Or maybe there was never any saving them."

"I do calculate the Resistance's chances of survival as... well... I'm afraid I'm not equipped to calculate values that small. However, in my many years I have come to a rather curious conclusion, after much observation. Some individuals seem to have the ability to defy the odds at every turn. Are you not such a person, Master Ben?"

"I don't know," Kylo said.

"Oh. Well, I am only a droid. What do I know?"

"What indeed?" Kylo knelt beside Threepio. He produced a set of tools from his belt. He pulled Threepio's severed leg out of the salt. "Let's get you fixed up, old friend."

On Kylo's belt, Hux's voice blared from his comm unit. "Ren? Ren, I know you're receiving me. Ren, pick up this instant."

Kylo muted the comm unit. He set to work on Threepio.

**Alliance Base**

The medic had found a handful of bacta patches somewhere in the base. They'd been expired for about twenty years.

Rey waved him off when he brought one over to her. "Save it for someone who needs it."

"Rey," Finn hissed. "Take the damn bacta."

"I'm not dying. Other people are."

"But ma'am..." The medic said. "You're a _Jedi_. You're, well... We need you."

"You're right. I am a Jedi. What makes you think I need eyes to see? Go help someone else. The Force will provide for me."

The medic walked away, suitably impressed.

"Can you really do that?" Finn asked. "See with the Force?"

Rey shrugged. "I dunno." she chuckled. "Sounded good though."

Finn didn't chuckle. "Rey, you're going to kill yourself for them."

"All the other Jedi are dead. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to do."

"You aren't a real Jedi. You said Skywalker didn't even train you."

Leia walked over to them unsteadily. "Tell me about my brother." she sat down beside Rey.

"He..." Rey trailed off there.

"That's a start," Leia placed her hands on either side of Rey's head. "Hold still," she added,."I'm not much good at Force healing."

"Princess, you can't. You're still weak."

"Hush." Leia moved her fingers over Rey's eyelids. "My brother."

"He... wouldn't help me."

Leia closed her own eyes. "There are many kinds of help."

"You don't understand. He wasn't... He wasn't what he was supposed to be."

"Who are you to say what anyone else is supposed to be?" Leia's brow furrowed in concentration.

"He wouldn't come back. He knows the Resistance needs him but he still wouldn't do anything. All of it is his fault. He made your son into Kylo Ren."

"You think you know everything, Rey. That's not your fault, you're young. But you don't." Leia's head fell forward and she began breathing heavily. "It's... my fault. All my fault. I failed my children..." then she fell backwards.

Rey caught her before she hit the floor.

"Not... finished," Leia whispered.

"It's okay," Rey said, blinking rapidly. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Did... I fix you?"

"Yes, you did it, Princess. I'm better."

"At... least I can still help... someone..." Leia's eyes slipped closed. "Luke will come. When we need him, he'll come." then she passed out.

Finn helped Rey lay Leia down on the bench.

"She didn't really heal you, did she?" Finn said.

"I'm not sure." Rey rubbed at her eyes. "I still can't see but my eyes feel all funny."

"I guess that's something. Do you think Skywalker's going to come?"

Rey shook her head. "No."

The remaining members of the Resistance, around seventy all told, huddled in the Alliance base. The rumbling footfalls of the First Order walkers in the distance shook the base and made the lights on the consoles flicker. Dust drifted lazily in the bars of sunlight slanting through the view slits in the door as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Small, crystalline fox-like creatures prowled deep in the base, giving the soldiers a wide berth.

"This is commander Poe Dameron of the Resistance," Poe was saying into the empty crackle of the control room's ancient comm unit, "If there is anyone out there sympathetic to our cause, we need you now. The Republic has betrayed us. If the Resistance dies here, there will be no one left to stop the First Order from taking the rest of the galaxy. We've spent years fighting for you. Now's the time to fight with us."

All that came from the comm unit was static.

"I've tried every Resistance frequency I know," Poe said. "If any other ships survived the _Supremacy_ 's attack, they aren't responding. And neither is anyone else. Anywhere. I don't know if this equipment is malfunctioning or... if nobody cares."

Finn held Rey's hand as the three of them stood in the control room. It seemed more for his comfort than hers.

"Sir," Lieutenant Connix said, poking her head into the room. "The walkers are getting closer. People are starting to wonder what the plan is."

Poe looked around to see who she was talking to. Then he realized it was him. "We're... working on it."

"Is that what I should tell them, sir? 'Working on it'?"

"Tell them we're all making it out of this."

She nodded once. "That's better." she left.

"So," Rey said. "What is the plan?"

"They have complete aerial superiority and this base has no means of counter attacking. I can't figure out why they don't just bombard us. The shields can't withstand that much firepower for long. Why are they deploying walkers?" Poe mused.

"Because they're a bit smarter than you," Zeb said as he entered. He was walking with a pronounced limp. "Look at where we are, kid. Built right into the mountain. If they bombard the whole base from orbit, all they're gonna do is bury the door in more rocks when the mountain comes down. Dig us in even further."

Finn pointed at red dots on the screen representing the walkers. "They're in a standard heavy artillery formation. And the capital ships are all moving into position for supporting fire. First Order siege tactics are pretty simple. Hit what you're sieging so hard it goes down in the first hit."

"If that door goes down, we're done for," Poe said. "What kind of weapons have we found in here?"

"There are thirteen Ski speeders in the launch tubes," Zeb said. "But there's a reason we left those things behind back in the Rebellion. They're death traps, even when they're new. After thirty years... well, you couldn't get me in one if you paid me."

"Anything that won't kill us if we try to fly it?"

"Just one. Come on," Zeb said. "You'll like this."

Zeb took them to the base's small launch bay. In addition to the ski speeders, a battered T-65 X-wing rested in the bay.

Poe's eyes lit up. "I can work with that." he looked at Zeb. "So what do we do?"

Zeb shrugged. "You tell me. I just shoot things. Tell me when it's time." Zeb walked off.

Deeper in the base, a crystal fox pawed curiously at BB-8. BB-8 warbled at it. The fox slipped away, seeming to vanish into the shadows. BB-8 deployed a light and shined a beam after it. BB-8 examined what he saw for a moment. Then he rolled to the control room.

He whistled extensively.

"Crystal foxes? Passageways?" Poe echoed. "Did you just find a back way out of here?"

BB-8 beeped an affirmative.

"Alright, Finn tell me everything you know about those walkers." Poe said.

"Seventy-one of us left in this base," Poe said to the assembled Resistance members. "We may be the very last of the Resistance. We're backed into a corner here. No one's coming for us. If we want to make it out of here, we're going to have to do it ourselves. BB-8 has located a series of old mining tunnels going out in every direction from this base. We're going to begin evacuating out the back as soon as we're done here. All our wounded and non-combatants. As for the rest of us, the First Order isn't just going to sit there and let us walk out. Someone's going to have to stop them. We have ships, and we have tunnels under the salt flats. Our remaining pilots will use Ski speeders to engage the walkers directly. The rest of the men will be planting explosives in the tunnels below. We're going to blow those walker's feet out from under them. I know it seems bad. But we're going to make it out of this. Because we have to make it out. We are the spark that will ignite the fire that will burn the First Order from the galaxy. Now everyone get to work. We don't have much time."

Finn drew Poe away as the men set to work arming themselves and preparing the wounded to be moved.

"We don't know if those tunnels lead out of the mountains or just further down. And even if we did, there's nowhere to go. This planet is a wasteland. There isn't a way out."

"I know," Poe said. He jabbed a finger at the Resistance. "They don't know."

"Those people think they can win. We're going out there to die."

"And we're going to take out as many of them as we can before we do."

"No one's even going to know what we did here."

"Maybe they don't have to. We know. We're here, for now, and we know. That'll have to be enough."

At the front of the base, Resistance soldiers pried open the floor grating leading to the tunnels under the salt flats. At the back the rest prepared to venture into the mine system as crystal foxes scurried between their feet. The booms of the walker's footfalls grew louder.

Rey found her lightsaber on the floor unerringly and clipped it to her belt.

"Stay behind me out there, Finn. I'll keep you safe."

Poe and Finn exchanged glances.

"Rey, you're evacuating with the wounded," Poe said.

"I can still fight."

"We know you can fight. That isn't the point. You're a Jedi. You're the most important asset we have. If there's any chance of making it out you have to take it, for the good of the war effort."

"I'm not just leaving you-"

"Rey," Finn said. "Someone has to make sure they all make it through the mines. If anyone can do it, it's you. You have to save them."

Rey turned her head in the direction of the non combatants. She reached out and found Finn's hand. "Come with me."

The base shook. Poe looked at the door."I have to get the ships ready," he said, rushing towards the launch bay.

Finn looked after him. "You know I gotta stay."

"This isn't your fight. You're only here because of me," Rey said

Finn lowered his head for a moment. "No. I'm not here for you. I'm here because it's the right thing to do. Now get out of here. Like Poe said, the war effort needs you."

"Yeah. Of course." Rey let go of Finn's hand. "I'll see you again. I promise." she left for the back of the base.

Finn caught up to Poe, who was lingering by the door.

"When we're out there under fire," Poe said. "You're going to regret everything you just said to her."

"I already am."

As Rey walked, one hand pressed to the wall, she closed her eyes and bowed her head.

On the salt flats outside, Kylo Ren looked up.

"Ben," Rey said.

"That's not my name." Kylo said.

"It was once. And it can be again. We need you now. You're the only one who can save the Resistance."

"Why would I save the Resistance? Look around, Rey. This was all me. My plan. I did this."

"You can still stop it. Everyone told me Luke Skywalker was the galaxy's last hope, but I know better. It's you, Ben."

"You're wrong about me."

"Ben, your mother is in this base. Are you going to let her die?"

"I don't have a family anymore."

"No. _I_ don't have a family. _I'm_ the one who's all alone, not you. You don't get to pretend you are because you're mad at them."

"This is so much bigger than family. Look. For the first time in history the Republic and the Empire are at peace. Working together against a common enemy. It's a shame it had to be the Resistance. But none of this was my choice, I'm just making the best of it."

"You know it won't last. Even if you really would keep the peace, the rest of the First Order won't. You aren't saving the galaxy, Ben. You're just putting the war on hold."

"There is no saving the galaxy, Rey. Just because Luke Skywalker and the rest did it once, a long time ago, doesn't mean it can happen again. Miracles don't happen twice. The conflict will never end. The Dark Side will always come back. And no one gets a happy ending. All you have is time. And I gave everyone more time."

"You're really not going to help us, are you?"

"I'm sorry. But you all made your choice. If I could save you I would."

"Then we have no hope."

"I'm sorry. But what you've been looking for doesn't exist. There aren't any heroes. The Jedi will never be what you wish they were. No one's coming to save you."

"Ben," Rey said. "You sound just like Luke."

Then her presence left.

**Deep Space**

An X-wing drifted among the stars. It was powerless and debris hung around it like a halo. In addition to the chunks of metal, a haze hung around the ship. The haze was oxygen. Luke was holding it there against the pull of the vacuum. His eyes were peacefully closed as he meditated, his breathing faint. On the console, the one remaining function, the ship's emergency beacon, blinked red.

Luke opened his eyes as the _Millennium Falcon_ dropped out of hyperspace.

The _Falcon_ 's cargo bay doors opened. Luke stretched out his hand and the haze of oxygen formed into a corridor between the X-wing and the cargo bay. Luke let the canopy drift away and pushed off the X-wing. He drifted to the cargo bay. Artoo released from the X-wing, activated his rocket boosters and flew in after him.

The doors closed behind him.

Luke and Artoo stepped through the airlock into the main ship.

Han Solo was waiting for them.

"Always surprises me the kind of old junk you can find floating around in space. And there's an X-wing, too," Han said.

"Han!" Luke threw his arms around him. "Chewie wasn't sure if you were going to make it."

"He always exaggerates. I've gotten worse scraps shaving." Han hugged Luke back. "Speaking of, what's that all over your face? Did Chewie cough up a hairball?"

"I've been told it makes me look distinguished."

"Come on, kid. You're not fooling anyone. We all know you're a wide eyed farmboy under that thing." Han pushed Luke away. "Alright, that's enough of that. We don't want to ruin our reputation."

"Where are we going?" Luke said.

"Crait."

They went to the cockpit. Han glanced at Luke sidelong. "Is it bad?"

"Yes. I sense Leia is in grave danger."

"Yeah," Han said. "I can sense that too." he punched in the coordinates. "Ready to show those upstarts how we did it back in the Rebellion?"

"Dying to."

The _Millennium Falcon_ shot into hyperspace.


	13. Life, Death, Truth, and the Thing That Crawled out of the Pit

**Crait**

Stormtroopers filled the spaces between the AT-M6's sweeping the ground with scanners.

One held up a hand. A chunk of debris from the crashing _Conqueror_ had torn a ragged hole in the ground ahead. Red dust rose from the hole. The stormtrooper poked his head over the edge. Less than two meters under the surface the red soil gave way to empty space; a series of tunnels under the salt flats.

"Sir," he said into his commlink. "We have tunnels."

"Begin deploying into them," Hux ordered from the bridge of the _Finalizer_. "If we're lucky they'll take us into the Rebel base from below."

**Alliance base**

Finn and the thirty or so surviving Resistance soldiers, along with Chewbacca and Zeb, assembled by the grates leading to the tunnels. In the launch bay, Poe got the X-wing online while Hera and the other pilots got into the Ski Speeders.

"Everyone receiving me?" Poe said over the comms.

"Loud and clear," Finn said.

"Men, follow Finn as you would any other commander down there. He knows more about the First Order than any of us."

Some of the soldiers looked uncomfortable, but none argued.

Finn led the way down into the tunnels. The walls were made of red, dusty soil that fell in puffs under the footfalls of the walkers. The grate on the floor rattled as the soldiers followed him down. The passages branched periodically, and opened occasionally into large chambers full of ancient mining equipment. A few hundred meters from the base the tunnels led out into an infantry trench equipped with several antique laser cannons; then cut back underground at the opposite wall of the trench.

"Alright, this is about where the walkers will come into firing range," Finn said as they came to another chamber full of mining equipment. "Start planting charges. Spread out. We have eleven walkers to take out."

Other teams broke off from the main group to take charges down the branching passageways.

Derham Boyce, an Iktotchi and their one surviving demolition expert, began placing a charge on the support strut at the center of the chamber.

Back in the base, Poe watched the progress of the AT-M6s from the launch bay.   
"Deploy," he said.

Hera gave him a thumbs up from the cockpit of her Ski speeder.

From the control room, Lieutenant Connix activated the launch controls. Then she ran to catch up with the group escaping out the back of the base.

The ski speeders were fired at high speeds from the launch tubes. The thirteen oblong, ramshackle speeders came out of the base high over the salt flats.

"Activate stabilizers," Hera said calmly even as the speeders dropped towards the ground in a barely controlled glide. "Brace for landing."

The speeders hit the ground, rattling under the impact. The pilots extended the speeders' stabilizer strut, which stuck into the ground to keep the ships from falling over. The ski speeders threw up red trails of dust behind them as they tore ruts through the salt.

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"And so they come," Hux said from the bridge as the ski speeders approached the looming AT-M6s. "One last time. Bring the squadron around. Destroy those pieces of junk."

The TIEs and Republic X-wings dived down for the ski speeders.

Just before they came into range, a lone X-wing launched from the Alliance base. Poe flew head on into the squadron. He opened up with all cannons. The barrels sputtered for a moment, then started firing. Two fighters, one TIE and one X-wing, were lanced with laser fire, exploding in the sky above the salt flats. Poe broke off and flew straight up. The fighters were right on his tail.

The AT-M6's cannons powered up and took aim at the on coming ski speeders.

"Here we go," Hera said over the rattling of the cockpit. "Let's see how many of these things we can take down."

Laser cannon fire began streaking across the flats.

In the tunnels below, the grating began to rattle. Not the walkers above, but many boots pounding on the metal grating.

"Incoming," Finn said. "Positions."

The Resistance soldiers began taking cover behind crates and equipment.

Then the first stormtrooper rounded the corner into the chamber.

"Contact!" he shouted back down the passage. The trooper ducked back around the corner as Resistance soldiers opened up on him. A moment later the rest of the stormtroopers reached the chamber.

Finn dived behind a massive drill as blaster fire lanced across the room.

Return fire from the Resistance soldiers blazed back at the stormtroopers.

Finn activated his commlink. "Teams, have you planted the explosives?"

All that came through the line was the sound of blaster fire.

...

Rey turned her head towards the booms coming from outside. Then she took a steadying breath and walked into the mine system. The non-combatants and wounded piled into the passage behind her. Leia, who was still unconscious, was being moved on an ancient, wheeled gurney they had found in the medbay.

They walked into the depths of the mines.

...

Out on the flats, a ski speeder was blown to flame and wreckage by a cannon blast from an AT-M6.

The rest of the ski speeders came into range and opened fire on the walkers. The shots sent sparks flying from the walkers' armored hulls. They didn't do any damage.

...

The Death trooper commander HX-66 swept his repeating blaster rifle around the room one more time. Smoke rose from the overheated barrel. The passage was littered with dead Resistance soldiers. He kicked one of the bodies over. She was clutching a high explosive charge in her dead hands.

HX-66 motioned to the other five Death Troopers in his squad. "Move out. These tunnels are full of vermin. Let's exterminate them."

...

Riot control stormtroopers armed with shields and batons forced their way into the chamber ahead of their brethren. Blaster fire pinged off of their shields. The other stormtroopers pressed in behind them, firing through the gaps in the shields.

Several resistance soldiers ran out of cover to flank the stormtroopers and set up a crossfire. Stormtroopers at the edge of the formation began going down.

"Down!" a trooper at the back of the formation called. The stormtroopers in front of him dropped into a crouch as the heavy assault trooper fired a shoulder mounted rocket launcher at the Resistance position. The rocket hit a hauling vehicle. The resulting explosion threw Finn and many other soldiers off their feet.

Finn hit the ground hard. Red dust fell over him. He blinked rapidly to clear his eyes. Around him, the opposing forces had left their formations as they fell into close quarters combat. Vibroblades flashed alongside the blaster bolts and explosions. Blood from a dozen wounds on a dozen men began soaking into the crimson soil.

Finn shook his head and made to scramble to his feet.

A riot trooper got to him before he could rise.

Finn raised his blaster with one hand.

The trooper stopped.

Finn's finger shook over the trigger. "Don't make me do this." 

The trooper hesitated for a moment. Then he raised his baton and brought it down.

Finn put a shot through his forearm, then two more through his chestplate. The trooper fell. Finn stood. He looked down at the body for a long moment.

"Kid!" Zeb shouted over the comm, his voice followed by the sound of blasterfire. "My team has our charge planted, but we're under heavy fire! How's it going on your end?"

Finn shook his head and looked over at Derham Boyce, who was hunkered down behind a support column. He held up a detonator and gave Finn a thumbs up.

Finn was about to order his men to pull back when a hail of blaster bolts hit Boyce. He fell, the detonator bouncing from his hands.

HX-66 and his squad of Death Troopers swept into the battle. HX-66 fired another automatic burst into Boyce's corpse for good measure.

"Working on it," Finn told Zeb.

Then he grabbed the riot trooper's shield and ran for the detonator. Blaster fire slammed into the shield as soon as he left cover, nearly knocking Finn off his feet. He staggered, found his balance and kept running. A shot cracked out from one of the Death Troopers and a Resistance soldier dropped to the ground in Finn's path, shot cleanly through the head. Finn stepped over him and kept going.

A grenade went off nearby. The shield took the brunt of the blast, but Finn was knocked off his feet. When he looked up, HX-66 was standing over him. Finn threw up the shield in front of him as HX-66 unloaded his repeating blaster. The shield jerked violently in Finn's grip. HX-66 held his finger down on the trigger. The last shot before the weapon overheated blew the shield from Finn's grip. HX-66 vented his blaster with a hiss of steam. Finn scrambled across the grating, hand reaching. HX-66 took a few strides after him. His gun hummed back to life.

He took aim.

Finn's hand closed around the riot trooper's fallen baton. He lashed the weapon up, knocking the blaster from the Death Trooper's grip. He jabbed the baton's tip into HX-66's gut and upped the voltage to maximum. The Death Trooper went stiff as electricity coursed through him. Then he slammed his forearm down on the baton, knocking it aside. He extended a vibroblade from his gauntlet and advanced on Finn. Finn raised his blaster with his other hand and shot HX-66 twice. Both shots speared right through his body and hit the wall. HX-66 grunted and kept coming.

"The hell are you guys made out of?" Finn muttered.

...

Above, another ski speeder was hit by cannon fire, exploding. The rest of the ski speeders broke off to the sides of the walkers right before they ran into them, throwing up great plumes of red dust in front of the walkers.

"What I wouldn't give for some tow cables right about now," Hera muttered as she continued blasting at the AT-M6's armor.

...

In the sky, Poe sent his X-wing through a barrel roll that took him spinning through a hail of laser fire from the dozen fighters on his tail.

"BB-8, divert power to shields..." Poe trailed off, realizing he was flying alone. He fired forward thrusters, then port thrusters. Poe nearly blacked out from the press of gravity. Those maneuvers were taxing enough in zero-g. But he managed to whip around, firing the X-wing's laser cannons in a wide arc as the fighter turned. The spray of laser bolts took out another TIE and sent two Republic X-wings spiraling away, leaking smoke. Poe brought the X-wing out of the turn, sagging forward in his seat as the gravity lessened, then made straight for the mountains.

...

In the mines under the mountains, the walls shook from the battle outside. BB-8 rolled ahead, tracking the Vulptexs through the passages and lighting the way with his spotlight. The walls were cramped and full of red crystal shards that grew bigger the deeper they went. Rey headed up the rest of them, walking confidently despite her eyes. Whenever she stumbled, someone was there to steady her.

Rey stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Lieutenant Connix whispered.

Rey's head turned towards a passage branching off of the main one. In the gloom, mist seemed to be rising from somewhere around the far corner. At the end of the passage, a figure in a brown, hooded robe lurked.

Rey shook her head. "Nothing."

She kept walking.

...

In the tunnels below the salt flats, HX-66 blocked a blow from Finn's baton with both forearms. Sparks of electricity crackled across his gauntlets. He shoved Finn back a step, swung his wrist blade at Finn. Finn ducked, slammed the baton into HX-66's gut. The Death Trooper doubled over. Finn slammed the baton down on his back. HX-66 blocked Finn's next blow on his wrist blade in a shower of sparks.

A stray blaster bolt burned past them. An explosion sent a stormtrooper flying and a hail of shattered armor falling over them. Finn flinched back from the shards while HX-66 let them ping harmlessly off his armor. HX-66 brought his fist up into Finn's chin, sending him staggering against the wall. The Death Trooper brought his wrist blade up and punched at Finn with it. Finn swung his baton at him two handed at the same time. Before either could hit, the ceiling exploded.

A cannon blast from an AT-M6 had hit the ground, blowing through the thin layer of earth above the tunnel. Rubble, salt and pieces of destroyed ski speeder rained down on the battle.

HX-66 stood up easily, despite the shard of metal embedded in his back. Finn rolled over and tried to stand.

"You can't beat me, traitor," HX-66 said. "I'm a product of the genetic labs. You can't kill me. But I sure as hell can kill you."

"I bet _he_ can kill you," Finn said.

"What-?"

Then Chewbacca hit HX-66 shoulder first, bowling him off his feet.

Chewbacca barked at Finn and pointed at the detonator, which had rolled into another passage. Finn ran for it.

The other five Death Troopers stood among the bodies of a dozen Resistance soldiers, firing at the Resistance's position. One took a blaster bolt to the chest that knocked her off her feet. She stood smoothly and returned fire.

Chewbacca aimed his bowcaster at HX-66. Before he could fire, he was forced to re-aim at a stormtrooper sighting up on him. Chewbacca blew the stormtrooper off his feet. HX-66 took his chance and barreled into Chewbacca. The Wookiee staggered. HX-66 bore Chewbacca back into the wall with a thud. He pulled his arm back and stabbed his wrist blade at Chewbacca's throat. He dropped his bowcaster and caught the Death Trooper's arm. Chewbacca slammed his forehead into HX-66's helmet, snapping his head back. He forced the Death Trooper back a few steps. HX-66 set his feet and he stopped moving. He extended another wrist blade on his other arm and stabbed at Chewbacca. The wookiee caught that arm as well. They stood locked there for a moment. Then Chewbacca adjusted his grip on HX-66's arms. He stopped pushing and started pulling. The Death Trooper looked down at his arms in shock.

"Oh, no," he said.

Then Chewbacca pulled hard on both his arms.

Across the chamber, the other Death Troopers watched in horror.

"Emperor's black bones," one whispered.

Chewbacca hurled HX-66's armless corpse at the Death Troopers, knocking two off their feet, then dove for his bowcaster. He came up firing, blowing a hole through a Death Trooper's chest.

Finn reached the detonator. He grabbed it up.

"Pull back!" he shouted into the comms. "All forces pull back!"

"About Karabastin' time," Zeb snapped over the line. He was taking cover behind a pile of dead stormtroopers, firing over the top. He dropped back and ran for it, detonator in hand.

"Team six reporting," another Resistance soldier called in. "Charge in place."

"Team three, reporting."

"Team five here."

"That's only half the charges set, kid," Zeb said as he ran. "Will that be enough?"

"It'll have to be," Finn said.

The remaining Resistance soldiers began pulling out of the chamber, dragging the wounded and sending return fire back at the stormtroopers across the room.

The Death Troopers were still occupied with Chewbacca. The Wookiee grabbed one by the helmet and slammed his skull into the wall, while firing his bowcaster one-handed into another's chest plate. A third Death Trooper fired a shot that hit Chewbacca in the side. The wookiee roared and hurled the Death Trooper in his grip into the third one. Then he fired once, twice, three times, at the ceiling of the passage. It came down on them. The stormtroopers fell back as rubble rained down.

Chewbacca ran for the retreating Resistance force.

As they left the chamber, Finn held up the detonator. His finger fell over the button. Then a hand clamped down over his. A hand with a chrome plated gauntlet.

Phasma twisted the detonator from Finn's hand. Her armor was caked in salt and her face was bloodied. She aimed a blaster pistol at Finn with her other hand.

...

Poe took his X-wing through the jagged mountain peaks above the base. Laser fire exploded on the rocks around him. He closed the s-foils as he cut through a narrow pass. The X-wing directly on his tail didn't. It's wings caught on the rocks and the fighter exploded.

Poe's X-wing came out over the salt flats. Below, another ski speeder went down, while the others continued to cut crimson trails across the flats as they rained laser fire on the AT-M6s.

Poe fired a pair of proton torpedoes at the walkers. One struck an AT-ST, blowing it to pieces, while the other hit an AT-M6 right in the head. Its head was knocked to the side. Then its pilot turned it forwards again and the walker kept moving.

Poe came in low over the flats, laser fire hitting the ground all around him.

...

Kylo Ren stood on the salt flats, watching the battle from a distance. He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt.

"What are you doing, Master Ben?" Threepio asked from beside him.

"Ending this. Stay here."

Kylo Ren swept across the flats towards the battle.

...

Deep in the mines, BB-8 continued to trace the Vulptexs through the passageways. The passage led to a sheer wall. The foxes easily slipped through cracks near the bottom. The cracks were rather too small for humans.

The Resistance group slowly came to a stop. There was no way out.

"Stay calm," Rey said. "This is what I'm here for."

She activated her lightsaber and drove it into the wall. She began cutting.

...

In orbit, the _Millennium Falcon_ came out of hyperspace.

Luke stood beside Han in the cockpit.

"So," Han said. "I'm seeing a star destroyer and a bunch of other capital ships down there. I don't think any of them are on our side. What's the plan, Jedi master?"

"What do you think?" Luke said. "Rescue the princess."

"Works for me."

"Listen, Han, I just want to say... I know I can never fix what I did. But I want to-"

"Save it, kid. We already said it all a long time ago. Make yourself useful and get on a turret."

Luke nodded once. He ran to the top turret.

"I'm taking us in," Han said, dipping the _Falcon_ into the atmosphere.

"May the Force be with you, Han," Luke said from the turret.

"You too, Luke."

The _Falcon_ dove towards the battle.

...

Poe turned his X-wing on its side, flying between two AT-M6s. Laser fire from the fighters on his tail pinged off the walker's armor. They cut off their fire to avoid doing any more damage to the walkers. As Poe came out the other side, he found that half the squadron had broken off from the rest. They were coming around in front of him. The other fighters fired at him from behind. Poe rolled the X-wing, the G forces pressing him back into his seat. A laser bolt slammed into his ship. It listed, leaking smoke. A TIE fired a pair of proton torpedoes. Poe's fingers flew towards countermeasure systems he quickly realized this decades old X-wing wasn't equipped with.

A moment before the torpedoes hit, two laser bolts lanced down from above, hitting the torpedoes and detonating them off Poe's starboard.

The _Millennium Falcon_ dove into the midst of the squadron, dorsal, ventral and mandible laser cannons blazing. A half dozen fighters went down in its first pass.

Inside, Luke fired the dorsal turret with one hand, while his other was held out towards the door, his fingers moving constantly. He was operating the ventral turret with the Force.

A cheer went up from the Resistance forces falling back into the trenches on the salt flats as the _Falcon_ flew overhead.

"All aerial forces," Hux said from the bridge of the _Finalizer_. "Destroy that ship."

The _Millenium Falcon_ flew straight for the _Finalizer_ and the republic fleet, the remaining fighters on its tail.

Flaming TIEs and Republic X-wings fell to the salt flats as Luke shot them out of the sky.

Turbolaser fire from the _Finalizer_ lanced at the _Falcon_. Han spun the ship through the hail of laser fire. None of the Republic ships fired.

Poe brought his X-wing up behind the fighters pursuing the _Falcon_ , he began picking them off one by one.

"Sir, we're running out of fighters," an officer reported to Hux.

"Holdo," Hux snapped into the comms. "Why aren't your ships firing?"

"There's nothing I can do." Holdo said, "They won't fire on the _Millenium Falcon_."

...

In the tunnels, Finn faced Phasma. Cinder and red dust fell on them from the burning hole in the roof. Flames from the numerous explosions flickered all around them.

"I guess it was too much to hope you didn't make it out of the crash," Finn said.

"I always survive, FN-2187," Phasma said. "You should know that by now."

"Blister Roaches always do. Why are you even here? The First Order knows what you really are now."

"They don't. But they will." she glanced at the passageway the stormtroopers had fallen back into when the ceiling had collapsed.

Finn followed her gaze. "You want them to see you shoot me. You think they're going to take you back."

"Once I save this operation, they will know I'm still loyal."

"You know that's not how it works. Once a traitor, always a traitor. Just like me."

"I'm nothing like _you-_ "

Finn swung his baton up, knocking the blaster spinning from her hand. He raised his own blaster.

Phasma threw the detonator. Finn dropped the blaster, lunging to catch it. His fingers closed around it. Then Phasma's armored fist slammed into his gut. The detonator hit the floor as Finn staggered. He dove for it. His fingers found it again. Phasma kicked his hand, sending the detonator skittering across the floor. She shoved Finn aside, reaching for it. Finn slammed his elbow into her nose. She fell backwards, holding a hand to her face. Blood leaked from between her fingers.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Finn said. "Hurts without a helmet."

"Pain is an old friend," Phasma grunted. She lunged at him.

Finn swung the baton. Phasma parried with her armored forearm, sparks falling in a shower from the impact. She swung a punch at him. Finn knocked it aside with a sweep of the baton in another shower of sparks. Phasma parried one, two, more blows from Finn's baton. The third slammed heavily against her guard. She braced her forearm. Electricity crackled across the chromium surface of her armor. They struggled against each other for a moment. Phasma forced the baton back inch by inch. She got ahold of Finn's wrist with her other hand and forced the baton down sharply. The electrified tip hit the ground. There was a sizzle. The baton had hit the detonator. Smoke rose from it. Finn let go of the baton and grabbed up the detonator. Phasma let him.

Finn pressed the button. Nothing happened. He pressed it again.

"It's fried, FN-2187," Phasma said. "It's over."

He pressed the button one more time. Then he threw it against the wall.

He raised his fists. "Ready to finish this?"

From across the chamber, the stormtroopers were forcing their way through the rubble.

"I'd say another time," Phasma said. "But we both know you're going to die here. You're a good soldier, Finn. I'm sorry it had to be this way."

She walked away down a side passage. Finn didn't bother pursuing her.

He walked over to the explosive charge on the column.

The walker's footfalls stopped directly above. They were in range. He could see them through the hole in the ceiling.

Finn raised his commlink. "Is everyone out of the tunnels?"

"Everyone except you," Zeb said. "Get a move on, kid."

"Yeah, about that. Looks like that's not going to happen." Finn opened the charge's control panel. The detonation switch was handily marked in red. Finn put his hand over it.

"What are you talking about? Get out of there!" Zeb snapped. Chewie roared into the comm as well.

"You gotta detonate the rest of the bombs," Finn said.

"Kid, that's not gonna happen."

"Detonate them, or this is all for nothing."

There was silence over the comms for a moment.

"May the Force be with you, kid," Zeb said. 

Chewbacca howled mournfully.

"Detonating," Zeb said.

Finn listened to the muffled booms as the other explosives in other parts of the tunnels began going off.

Finn closed his eyes and flipped the detonation switch.

He waited.

He waited another moment.

Then he opened his eyes.

He turned.

Kylo Ren stood in the chamber, from where he had jumped down. His hand was extended.

He had frozen the bomb before it could detonate.

The explosions from the other bombs ripped through the tunnels. The ground beneath the AT-M6s rippled. One walker's foot broke through the weakened ground, landing in a tunnel. But that was all. The walker tore its foot free and kept moving.

" _You_ ," Finn said.

"Of course it would be you," Kylo said. "You're always underfoot." he ripped the bomb from the column with the Force and hurled it up through the hole in the ceiling. It detonated harmlessly somewhere above.

"Where's Rey?" Kylo said.

"Stay away from her," Finn snarled. He picked up the baton.

"Don't."

Finn ran at him.

Kylo Force pushed him, slamming him into the wall.

Kylo ignited his lightsaber. He held it to Finn's throat.

"Go on. Do it," Finn spat. "Stop wasting both our time."

Kylo held the blade there for another moment. Then he lowered it. "You're lucky she loves you."

"She... what?"

"Go. Be with your friends. You don't have much time left."

Finn looked at Kylo for a long moment, "I'm gonna kill you one day."

"No. You won't. But I appreciate the thought."

Finn walked away.

The stormtroopers broke through the rubble behind Kylo.

Kylo looked up, watching the _Millenium Falcon_ streak through the battle above.

"Father." And then his hands clenched into fists. "Skywalker."

...

Luke threw out his hands. The proton torpedoes shooting at the _Falcon_ changed course, slamming into the _Finalizer_ 's shields. Han brought the _Falcon_ around and fired a brace of concussion missiles at the same spot. The shields gave way over that section of the ship and Luke opened up on it with both laser cannons. Fire and explosions bloomed along the star destroyer's hull.

"Holdo!" Hux shouted into the comms. "Destroy that cursed ship or this alliance ends here and now! One word from me and your population centers burn. Give it a day and I will have our entire fleet attacking yours. We will bring war to this entire galaxy unless you _destroy the Millennium Falcon_!"

On the _Wild Hunt_ , Holdo closed her eyes tightly.

"Ma'am," an officer said. "Give the word and we light those pieces of filth up."

"No," Holdo said. "We have a responsibility to our people."

"Ma'am, with respect, if you fire on the _Millennium Falcon_ , you will have a mutiny on your hands."

"I know." she walked over to the gunnery station. "Move.".

The man moved.

She sat down at the controls.

"Ma'am." the officer drew his blaster. "Don't do this."

"Shoot me if you feel you need to, Captain Heanway. But I will not allow this treaty to be broken. I won't let all these deaths be for nothing." Holdo brought up the _Wild Hunt_ 's precision laser cannons.

Captain Heanway lined up his blaster on her. "Ma'am..."

She locked onto the _Falcon._

Heanway looked away from her for one moment, scanning the faces of the other crew members to make sure he had their support. That moment was all it took.

Holdo fired.

Heanway stunned her.

A single laser cannon on the _Wild Hunt_ fired. The emerald bolt left the barrel.

On the _Falcon_ , Luke closed his eyes.

"Han," he said. "I'm sorry."

Then he threw both hands and all of the Force he could muster down towards the cockpit.

The laser bolt hit the _Falcon_.

It tore through the shields first. Then it hit the lower turret. It tore through that as well, burning up into the smugglers holds under the deck plating. It blasted into the main hold, leaving a burning hole behind it, vaporizing the couches and setting fire to the dejarik table. It sliced through the access tube to the upper laser turret and blasted apart the corridor leading to the cockpit. Last it blew out through the top of the _Falcon_ 's hull.

The _Millennium Falcon_ seemed to hang in the air for a moment, as a hundred shocked Resistance soldiers and stormtroopers watched from below.

Then the _Falcon_ fell, trailing flames. The blue glow of its engines flickered once, twice. Then they went out.

The _Falcon_ hit the ground in front of the Alliance base. It broke in two on impact.

The wreckage of the _Millennium Falcon_ lay burning on the salt flats.

In the tunnels, Kylo Ren lowered his head.

In the trenches, Chewbacca howled.

Above, on the bridge of the _Finalizer_ , Hux grinned. "About time." 

"Walkers in position," an officer reported.

"All units, open fire!" Hux ordered.

The AT-M6s, all eleven of them, as well as the AT-ATs flanking them, opened fire on the massive door.

The _Finalizer_ 's turbolasers lanced down on the door.

The brilliant flash of weapon's fire blinded everyone on the flats.

When the glare faded, a massive hole had been blasted into the door.

In the trenches, the Resistance soldiers sagged. Several dropped their guns. They all knew it was over.

Zeb placed his hand on Finn's shoulder. "We tried, kid. There's nothing else we could have done."

The walkers advanced on the Resistance forces.

...

In the mines, Rey cut through the last of the wall. The Resistance members moved in to drag the slabs of stone away. Fresh air and sunlight came wafting in through the passageway.

"You did it," Lieutenant Connix said.

Rey turned back to the mines. "Go. Hide if you can."

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?"

"Ma'am, you can't do that. How will you even find your way through?"

"I'll make do."

"Will... will you be coming back?"

Rey shrugged. "Probably not."

She walked back into the mines.

BB-8 rolled after her.

"No, BB-8," Rey said."You have to stay here. Someone has to take care of all these people."

BB-8 warbled sadly.

"I know," Rey said. "I wish it could be different too." she bent down to pat him on the dome. "I'll miss you, too."

Rey walked into the mines.

Darkness fell.

The red crystals on the walls loomed around her. Mist formed around her ankles. Soon she was deep into the tunnels. She walked as though she knew exactly where she was going.

Suddenly, a figure in a brown robe emerged from the shadows in front Rey. The mist tinged blue around it. It held up a hand.

Rey stopped for a moment. "I know you're there. I'm not listening to you again." she kept walking.

_Rey. Don't_

"I said I'm not listening. I don't trust you."

She kept going.

_Rey, no_

Something took hold of Rey. She was yanked off her feet, pulled in the opposite direction of the hooded figure. It stretched out a hand for her, but she was already out of sight.

Rey hit the ground hard. Before she could find her balance, she was pulled again.

She stood unsteadily. The chamber was full of massive red crystals sticking like blades from every wall.

Something shifted in the dark and the swirling mist. Rey turned her head towards the sound.

A huge, skeletally thin figure lurked in the shadows behind her. It took a single step towards her. Rey whirled at the sound, activating her lightsaber.

"Who's there?" she said.

"Who do you think?" Snoke said.

...

Outside, in front of the blasted doors, the wreckage of the _Millennium Falcon_ burned.

Han Solo fell lightly to the floor, from where he had been safely held through the entire crash. Artoo, similarly unharmed, rolled over to him.

They both exited what was left of the cockpit into the ruined interior. The back half of the ship lay half buried in salt a few dozen meters away.

"My ship..." Han said quietly. "My ship."

Luke emerged from the wreckage, his robes singed.

"Han," he said. "I'm so sorry."

Outside, stormtroopers were pouring out of the tunnels. They carefully advanced on the _Falcon_.

"Yeah." Han wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Me too."

He looked outside through a hole in the hull. "Guess this is it, huh?"

"Probably."

"So... "

"Yeah."

"Drowning in stormtroopers. About how I expected."

"Yeah, we probably should have seen this one coming."

"Guess everyone's luck runs out."

"Or maybe we just got old."

"Speak for yourself, kid."

A few blaster bolts pinged off the hull. A Flametrooper began to set fire to the wreckage outside.

"She's already on fire!" Han shouted out. "What the hell more do you want?"

"Listen, Han..." Luke began.

"I told you, Luke. None of that. You don't have to say anything."

"I want to. I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry about your son. And your daughter. You trusted me with them, and I failed them both. I know you'll never forgive me but..."

"Luke, I forgave you a long time ago. Everyone did. If you'd been around you might have known that." Han put his hands on Luke's shoulders. "You're my brother. That's never going to change. Now, anything else you want to get off your chest?"

"That..." Luke wiped at his own eyes. "About covered it."

"Alright, then." Han unholstered his blaster. "Ready?"

Luke unhooked his lightsaber and activated it. "Try and keep up."

Luke Skywalker and Han Solo stepped out of the _Falcon_ side by side.

The stormtroopers opened fire.

Luke's lightsaber moved in a blur in front of them, deflecting the hail of blaster bolts. Han fired past him. Stormtroopers began dropping; one, three, half a dozen. 

...

In the _Finalizer_ , Hux leaned forward in his chair, "What's going on down there? Magnify."

The holographic sights on the viewport zoomed in.

The entire bridge saw the green lightsaber and the falling stormtroopers.

Whispers began echoing around the bridge.

"Is that really him?"

"A Jedi."

"Luke Skywalker."

"Silence!" Hux snapped. "Send more men. Send them all. Kill him."

"Sir..." an officer said.

"What?" Hux snapped.

"The men... uh... no one else will go."

"They... they _what_?"

"Sir, look."

Hux looked.

Han and Luke stood back to back, Luke deflecting while Han shot. Bodies littered the salt flats around them. Dozens.

"That's Luke Skywalker," the officer said. "That man killed Darth Vader. He killed the _Emperor_. They... there have been reports..." he lowered his voice. "That he killed the Supreme Leader too."

"Lies," Hux said. He pulled his blaster and shot the officer. "Lies! Luke Skywalker is just a man. He is flesh and blood. And he will die just like anyone else. Send the walkers. Send all the walkers!"

...

On the salt flats below, a flametrooper fired his flamethrower. Luke held up one hand, the stream of fire washing around him and Han but not touching them. Han shot the flametrooper's fuel pack. It exploded.

Luke and Han lowered their weapons.

"Think that's the last of them?" Han said.

"Not even close."

In the trenches, the Resistance soldiers hefted their weapons as the walkers approached.

"Should we get back inside?" one soldier asked.

"No point," Finn said. "There's nowhere to run."

From behind, there came whispers. Finn turned. The crowd of soldiers were parting. They all stepped aside to reveal Luke and Han.

"Stand down, son," Luke said putting a hand on Finn's shoulder. "I'll take it from here."

Luke walked across the flats towards the walkers.

"Han!" Finn said. "Is... is he... should we...?"

"Let him do this thing, kid," Han said. "We'd better get inside. This is probably going to get messy."

The soldiers rushed inside the base.

Luke continued towards the walkers. He stopped.

The eleven AT-M6s loomed over him.

Kylo Ren watched from a distance.

"Hux," he said into the comms. "Leave him to me."

"Negative, Ren. He dies now. Fire!" Hux ordered. "Fire everything!"

Luke activated his lightsaber and assumed a defensive stance as the walkers aimed their laser cannons at him.

They opened fire. Laser bolts lanced down at Luke.

He disappeared in an explosion of flame and red dust.

"Do not stop firing," Hux ordered.

The barrage of laser bolts continued. Dirt and rubble was thrown into the air. The brilliance of the laser fire nearly blinded anyone looking.

A minute passed as the barrage continued.

"Cease fire," Hux said letting out a breath. "We got him."

The AT-M6s ceased fire.

The smoke and red dust cleared.

The first thing visible was the emerald glow of Luke's lightsaber. After a moment, the rest of him became visible. One hand still held this lightsaber. The other was extended. His palm seemed to be glowing faintly, much as if he had absorbed Force lightning or a blaster bolt.

"Impossible," Hux gasped.

Luke raised his glowing hand above his head. He brought it down to the ground. A rumble passed through the salt flats. Not just the ground, but the tunnels beneath. Rock fractured and support columns gave way. Then the tunnels caved in and the AT-M6s fell. All of them.

A massive cloud of red dust fell over the salt flats, briefly obscuring the setting sun.

When it cleared, the twisted wreckage of the AT-M6s became visible in the massive crater left in front of the Alliance Base.

Hux paled. "Orbital bombardment," he said. "Fire all turbolasers. Something has to work."

"Negative," Kylo Ren said. "Stand down. I will deal with this myself."

Kylo Ren began walking across the flats towards Luke.

...

A figure in a brown robe stepped from the shadows between Snoke and Rey. It held up its hand towards Snoke.

"You have no power over me, spirit," Snoke said. He walked directly through the figure. It vanished

Rey stood before Snoke, lightsaber blazing in her hands.

"Ben told me you were dead." 

"Oh, there's so much you don't understand," Snoke said. "But in time, you will learn."

Rey leveled her lightsaber at him. "I'll make sure you're dead this time." she lunged for the sound of his voice.

Her blade passed through empty air.

"Come now, Rey," Snoke said, appearing behind her. "You didn't think I was actually _here_ , did you? The connection you have with Kylo Ren is unique. And I have a connection with Kylo Ren too. The two of you are doing it by accident. Imagine what one could do on purpose."

Rey spun and slashed at him.

Snoke raised a hand, holding her back with a Force push.

Rey strained against it, trying to force the blade closer.

"Do you think that weapon could really hurt me in this form?"

"Why don't you let me stab you? Then we'll find out."

Snoke waved his hand to the side, and Rey was thrown into the crystals lining the wall. The sharp edges sliced into her as she slammed into them. Rey struggled to her feet, slashing her hands open on the crystals as she used them to pull herself up.

"If you're not here, you can't really hurt me either." 

"You know better than that." Snoke pulled her towards him with a tug of the Force. Then he slammed his fist down on her, knocking her to the floor. "You will die here. Unless..."

"Let me guess, join you," Rey said from the ground.

"Of course. Why else would I be wasting my time with you? You're-"

Rey slashed at his ankles. Snoke froze her arm with a small gesture. He raised his other hand and brought it down sharply. The blast of Force slammed down on Rey's back, driving her to the ground again.

"As I was saying, you're exactly what I've been looking for. Kylo Ren is weak. Because of his heart. Because of his family. Because of his Jedi training. But you, well, you have none of those things, do you?" Snoke lifted his hand and Rey was dragged into the air before him. "The desert weathered you into a black little gem for me. All full of abandonment and rage."

Rey growled as she struggled against his grip.

"Yes, exactly. It comes so easy for you, doesn't it? You've never known anything but the dark."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course I do. I know everything. I know the one thing that can make that withered heart of yours sing. No, I don't mean the boy. You aren't capable of that. I mean your parents. Such a small and simple desire. As though knowing the fate of the beings that spawned you really means anything. But," he shrugged. "It makes you so pathetically easy to manipulate. They all do it, you know. Your so called friends. Whenever they need something from you, they know exactly what to say to get it. I can rid you of that weakness. It isn't difficult."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm offering you a gift, dear. Would you like to know what happened to your parents?"

...

Salt crunched under Kylo Ren's feet as he approached Luke Skywalker.

Han watched from the threshold of the door.

Luke looked back at him and shook his head.

Smoke rose from the wrecked AT-M6s.

"Skywalker," Kylo said, his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber.

"Kylo Ren," Luke said.

Inside, Finn looked over Han's shoulder.

"What should we do?"

"Luke's giving you a chance to get out of here. You'd better take it."

"What about you?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Finn looked back at the Resistance soldiers. "Move out," he said. "Head through the mines."

The men began rushing into the passageway at the back of the base.

Chewbacca stayed beside Han.

"Don't suppose I can convince you to go with them." Han said.

Chewie shook his head.

"That's what I thought."

As Kylo reached Luke, Han's hand fell to his holstered blaster.

Chewie rarred at him questioningly.

"No. I don't know who to aim at either."

**The** **_Finalizer_ **

"Holdo!" Hux fairly shouted into the comm. "Where are you? Answer me."

"I'm afraid Vice Admiral Holdo is no longer in command of this ship," Captain Heanway said over the comm.

"What are your intentions?"

"I have no desire to break this treaty either, much as I'd like to. However, if you attempt to fire on Luke Skywalker, I will have no choice but to destroy you."

"How dare you threaten me. Remember the stakes here."

"I would advise you to remember the same. Look around. There are far more of us than there are of you."

Hux glared out the viewport at the Republic fleet. "Then we are at an impasse."

He shut off the comm. He gestured at the communications officer. "Send out the call. All ships in the sector. Tell them an engagement with the Republic is imminent."

...

"I had hoped to never see you again," Luke said.

"Afraid to look at what you've done?" Kylo said.

"No. Afraid of what I'd have to do." Luke took his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it.

Kylo's red blade boiled from the emitter. "I've been waiting for this. For all these years, I've been growing stronger. What have you been doing, hiding on some backwater planet? Rotting? You're no match for me now."

"You have no idea how wrong you are." 

"Aren't you going to plead for me to stop? To come back to the light? Where are your teachings about redemption now?"

"I know better than that. You already made your choice. Nothing I say will change your mind."

"You killed her. You killed my sister. You killed Jaina."

"I did." Luke said. He raised his lightsaber. "What are you going to do about it?"

Kylo Ren snarled deep in his throat. He charged at Luke. The salt crunched beneath his feet.

Luke held steady, blade held parallel to his shoulder.

Then Kylo was on him and the duel began.

Luke shifted his feet, catching Kylo's lunging slash on his blade and letting Kylo charge past. Kylo spun and slashed at Luke's back. Luke whirled as well, parrying low at his waist, then high as Kylo's blade came down again.

Their blades hissed and buzzed as they fought across the salt flats. The wind swept the red dust into crimson eddies around them and the sun dipped low towards the horizon.

Kylo's red blade carved whirling patterns in the air as he slashed and hacked against Luke's measured parries.

Kylo ducked low beneath Luke's next crosscut, falling into a sweeping kick at Luke's ankles. Luke jumped over that, and Kylo's blade, following close behind the kick, was there to meet Luke's feet as they touched the ground. Luke stabbed his lightsaber straight down, catching the red blade an inch from his boot and driving the point into the ground. Luke slashed his blade up. Kylo slid back, parrying at chest height, then blocking high as Luke slammed his blade down over hand. Kylo put a Force push into Luke's chest that sent him stumbling several paces, then rushed at him. Luke parried Kylo's spinning downward slice, then disengaged and drove his blade into the dirt. He whipped it forward across the ground, sending a spray of superheated salt and red dust at Kylo's face. Kylo threw up a hand in front of his face. In that moment of distraction, Luke took two steps forward and leveled his blade to Kylo's throat.

"You're going to try and kill me the same way you killed her?" Kylo said.

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop you. I won't let you kill anyone else because of me." 

"Then you will die a failure." Kylo jerked Luke's arm and blade away with a tug of the Force, slashed his own lightsaber at Luke's waist.

Luke was forced to jump to avoid it. He augmented his leap with the Force, coming down atop one of the fallen AT-M6s. Kylo Ren lept after him.

Their blades clashed again as soon as he landed.

"Your parents are in there. I'm not going to let you harm them. They've been through enough," Luke said through the crackle of their locked lightsabers.

"Those people aren't my parents. They abandoned us because the Republic needed them more. They left us with _you_ , because it was easier."

"That's not true. Blame me all you want. Leave them out of it. Han and Leia loved you both very much."

"Then why did they let Jaina die?!" Kylo shouted, unleashing a Force push that blasted Luke from the AT-M6.

He landed on the ground below with a thump and a puff of red dust. Kylo leapt down after him, blade raised to pin Luke to the ground.

Luke jerked his hand towards the ground, yanking Kylo down with the Force. He hit the ground a few meters short of Luke.

"You can pretend you hate me or your parents all you want. You can take out your pointless anger on the entire galaxy. But we both know the person you really hate is yourself."

"That's not true," Kylo said as he got his breath back.

"Of course it is. Your sister died saving every Jedi in the Temple. And then you killed them. She died for nothing. Because of you."

Luke held his lightsaber over Kylo. He looked over at the Alliance base, and Han at the threshold. Han shook his head.

Luke looked back at Kylo. "You killed my students," he said, and drove his blade down.

Kylo blocked at the last second and kicked Luke in the gut, giving himself the space he needed to jump to his feet.

"What makes you more angry, Skywalker? How many I killed, or how many were so betrayed by you that they joined me? When you killed her, you showed them what you really are. Your Jedi redemption only applies when it's easy. Your hypocritical teachings allowed Snoke to rise to power. Why did you kill Jaina, but not him? Why did he deserve a second chance?"

"You and the rest of the Knights of Ren joined Snoke. None of you ever deserved to be Jedi."

"That's a compliment, Skywalker."

Kylo Ren rushed at Luke again. Their lightsabers whirled and clashed at blinding speeds as Kylo drove Luke backwards into the wreckage of the _Millennium Falcon_. The deck plating clanged under their feet and flames burned all around them.

Kylo waved his hand and shards of burning metal left the floor and flew at Luke. Luke spun his blade in an emerald blur, catching each projectile and sending them falling to the floor in pieces.

Luke tugged down with one hand and part of the half-collapsed ceiling came down on Kylo.

Kylo slashed upwards once, twice, carving through the sheet of metal. It landed on either side of him, edges smoldering. Kylo lunged at Luke. Luke parried, forced his blade to the side, where it slashed into the wall. Kylo Force pushed Luke, knocking him stumbling backwards, and followed up with an overhand slash that cut a burning line through the ceiling before coming down on Luke. Luke parried and spun away through the doorway at the end of the corridor, slashing his blade in a wide arc as he did so. Kylo ducked, and the blade sliced though both sides of the door-frame. The top half of the doorway fell with a crash to the deck plating. Luke reached a hand out towards the engine room visible through the shattered bulkheads. The hyperdrive ripped free of the deck and was launched at Kylo. Kylo sliced it into two, Force pushed both halves away. They landed outside and exploded. Kylo slammed his foot into Luke's chest, the Force enhanced kick sending Luke flying back into the far wall. It gave way under the impact and Luke landed in the cargo hold, shards of burning metal all around him.

Kylo charged at Luke. Luke gestured and the damaged bulkhead to the side came down on Kylo, falling to pieces as it did. Kylo staggered under the hail of metal shards, found his feet, and leapt at Luke.

Luke raised his hand, fingers pinched together, catching Kylo by the throat with the Force. Luke jerked his arm down, slamming Kylo to the deck. He planted his foot on Kylo's wrist, pinning it and his lightsaber to the floor. Then Luke reversed his blade in his grip and stabbed down at Kylo's neck. Kylo threw up his other hand, freezing Luke's arm with the Force. Luke gritted his teeth, placed his other hand over the lightsaber's hilt and forced it down towards Kylo inch by slow inch. Kylo's fingers shook. The tip on the lightsaber hovered a centimeter from his glove. Then Kylo saw the other lightsaber, the one hanging on Luke's belt. He twitched one finger and it shot off Luke's belt, activating as it flipped towards Kylo's hand. Vader's blade seared Luke's arm as it spun. He jumped backwards away from Kylo.

Kylo Ren rose, Vader's lightsaber in one hand and his own in the other.

He charged at Luke, his shout of rage echoing off the bulkheads. Kylo drove Luke back through the destroyed corridor towards the main hold, the sweeping arcs of his twin lightsabers slashing the walls on either side to ribbons. Luke blocked and parried two slashes, five, a dozen. Luke was breathing heavily. Kylo wasn't.

They came to the main hold. The dejarik table was on one side, the power generator at the base spitting sparks.

Kylo slammed both lightsabers down on Luke's guard. Luke held him back for a moment, then put a Force push into Kylo's chest that slammed him into the wall. Kylo grunted and charged back at Luke. Luke blocked Kylo's blade high, jumped to the side to avoid Vader's as it stabbed at him low. He was a second too slow. The red blade cut a shallow wound across Luke's flank.

Kylo crossed his blades and thrust the x of their meeting point at Luke's neck. Luke raised his lightsaber, thrusting it into the fulcrum of the two red blades. The three lightsabers hissed as they locked together. Luke released the hilt with his cybernetic hand and struck Kylo in the arm. The same arm Rey had injured earlier. Kylo shouted and dropped his lightsaber.

Kylo took Vader's lightsaber in both hands and slammed it down on Luke's guard. The force of the blow sent Luke stumbling, off balance. Luke blocked another powerful blow, falling back against the dejarik table for support. Kylo slammed Vader's blade down on Luke's guard again and again. The last blow sent Luke's lightsaber spinning from his grip.

Kylo raised the lightsaber to finish Luke. Luke thrust out both of his hands. Red dust pulled from outside washed through the _Falcon_ like a sandstorm. Kylo was driven back by the blinding red cloud. He held his blade before him, the crystalline particles burning and sparking off the lightsaber.

From outside, all that was visible was a swirling crimson cloud that consumed the entire ship.

Kylo Ren threw out his hand, unleashing a pulse of the Force. The entire cloud froze in place; tiny red crystals hanging still in the air like bloody snowflakes.

Kylo walked through the frozen storm.

He found Luke at the center of it, just outside the _Falcon_ 's remains.

He stood still, his lightsaber held straight up close to his body.

"You can't be serious," Kylo said.

"This battle has to end, before we are both lost to the dark side. Strike me down in anger if you must."

"And, let me guess, you'll become more powerful than I can possibly imagine?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll just haunt you for the rest of your days. Just like your sister does me. Choose, Kylo Ren. Is killing me really worth destroying what's left of Ben Solo?"

Kylo bowed his head for a moment. "He died a long time ago," he said, and thrust his lightsaber through Luke.

Or at least, the Force projection of Luke. The real Luke appeared beside him and slammed the hilt of his lightsaber into Kylo's jaw. The Force projection faded. Kylo fell to the ground. The red dust fell too, showering over them.

"There really is nothing left of you," Luke said, blade to Kylo's throat.

"Luke," Han said. He was standing a short distance away. "Don't kill my son."

"I'm sorry, Han, but your son is gone. Kylo Ren is going to kill you all unless I stop him. You, Leia, Chewie. Everyone. I won't let him take anyone else from me."

"Luke." Han placed his hand on his blaster. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"He can't be saved."

"As you couldn't save me?" another voice said.

A figure in a brown robe was standing behind them. It lowered its hood.

"Father?" Luke said.

"Grandfather?" Kylo said at the same time.

"This has gone on long enough," the ghost of Anakin Skywalker said. Beneath his natural voice lingered an echo of Darth Vader's mechanized rumble. "Son, put down your blade."

Luke deactivated his lightsaber. "Father, where have you been? All these years, I've never seen you."

"I can only go where I'm needed," Anakin said. "And we have little time. Ben Solo, you know the story of Darth Vader is not one to admire."

"Everything I've done has been in your memory," Kylo said. "To finish what you started."

"Then you understand nothing!" Anakin thundered in Vader's voice. "Darth Vader was a sick man in an iron mask who betrayed everything he believed in for the sake of a fool's hope. A cautionary tale to be avoided. In the future, you will do well to remember that. The path back to who you once were will be long, if you ever choose to take it. And you will never regain everything that you lost." Anakin spread the front of his robe. Beneath was Vader's chestplate. "But unlike me, perhaps you won't have to die to redeem yourself."

"You really believe he can be redeemed?" Luke said.

"Of course he can. You're the one who taught me that. Fear of loss has put us all on a dark path. Even you, my son. You won't preserve the legacy of the Jedi by destroying what you hate. And you, Ben Solo, what you want is unnatural. Trust me on that."

"What do you mean?" Luke said, "What does he want?"

"Tell him, Ben," Anakin said.

"Snoke," Kylo said. "He can bring her back."

"That's impossible." Luke turned to Anakin. "Tell him that's impossible."

"I would be lying if I did."

"I'm sorry. Snoke's dead. I killed him. No matter what powers he had, he's gone now." 

"No, no you don't understand," Kylo said. "You don't understand what Snoke does. He can take everything a person was. All their knowledge. With that power, Snoke learned everything _he_ knew before he died."

"He? He who?"

"An evil from the distant past," Anakin said. "Darth Plagueis the Wise. Snoke knows the secrets of life and death. He cannot die so easily. And he is here now. Put aside your battle. Rey needs you."

Luke looked down at Kylo. "She isn't any part of this. She doesn't have to be here." He extended a hand to Kylo. "Ben, help me save her."

"Son, please," Han said.

Kylo looked between Han and Luke, "Grandfather, what should I do?"

"What your sister would want you to," Anakin said.

"Just this once," Kylo said, taking Luke's hand.

Anakin smiled. "And once again, there is hope for the galaxy."

...

Rey hung in Snoke's grip.

"Shall we go back, dear?" Snoke said. "All the knowledge you seek is already in that tiny human brain of yours. All you need is a little help remembering." he extended a massive finger towards Rey's forehead. "Tell me to stop, and I will." 

Rey didn't say anything.

"That's what I thought." Snoke pressed his finger to her forehead. "Let's take a look, shall we?"

Both their eyes slipped closed.

_Sand and a sea of crashed starships_

"Jakku," Snoke's voice said over the images. "The planet where the Empire made its final stand. Tell me, have you ever wondered why they chose _that_ world? Have you ever wondered what they were hiding?"

_"Come on, Rey," the woman said. She wore scavenger's clothing much like Rey once had. "Keep up."_

"Mom," Rey murmured.

_The child, Rey, followed her._

_A man stood by a massive hatch half hidden by sand. He manipulated a console on one side._

_"Did you get it?" the woman asked._

_"Finally," the man said."Two weeks of work, but we're finally in."_

"Dad," Rey said.

_Her parents attached ropes to the edge of the hatch after it slid open. It went a long way down into the earth._

_"Hold on tight," her mother instructed._

_Rey wrapped her arms around her._

_"Mamma," the child said. "This place is scary."_

_"It's okay, Rey. There's nothing down there but ghosts."_

_They rappelled down the shaft, Rey holding onto her mother tightly._

_They came down in darkness. Her parents activated glow rods and they explored the place underground._

_Time passed, and they saw much old machinery. Her parents took parts from all of them, and showed Rey how they did it._

_Time passed again, and there was a door made out of stone among all the metal and machines. Her parents puzzled over how to get in for a while. Then they saw a small gap, perhaps a crack, on one side._

_"Rey, sweetie," her mother said. "Can you crawl through there and open this door up for us?"_

_The child looked up at the door. It had pictures of monsters on it._

"No," Rey murmured in reality. "No, this can't be."

_She shook her head. "The ghosts are in there."_

_"They can't hurt you, sweetie. Ghost just means... people who aren't here anymore. It just means they're gone."_

_"Oh. So no one is in there."_

_"That's right. So do you think you can open the door like we showed you?"_

_"Uh-huh," the child said, not scared anymore. She did this all the time._

_She crawled through the gap. Her parents kept looking around outside._

_The child came out inside the room behind the door. It was very dark. She walked forward and a light came on. The light was red and came from a small pyramid on a table._

_Then she heard the whispers_

_'Do you feel it?'_

_'Yes. power'_

_'Someday'_

_'One day'_

_'Not yet'_

_'But one day'_

_'She will avenge us'_

_The child looked and listened for a long time._

_"Rey?" her father called from outside. "Are you okay in there?"_

_"I knew this would happen," her mother hissed. They thought she couldn't hear them. "If we keep shoving her into small space she was bound to get stuck eventually."_

_"We talked about this, dear. If she doesn't earn us money we won't be able to feed her. And she can get in places we can't."_

_"I know, I know. Still, she's growing too fast. We won't be able to make use of her for much longer. What do we do then?"_

_There was silence._

_"Rey, honey," her father said louder. "Open the door."_

_The child opened the door. It was really easy. She just touched it._

_"Good girl," her mother said, patting her on the head. "Was it hard to open?"_

_"Nuh-uh," she said. "Look at this."_

_She walked over to the pyramid. She touched it. It began to glow red. Then a second one lit up on the wall. Then a third. Then a lot more. They bathed the stone chamber in red._

_"I feel sick, mamma," the child said._

_The red glow lit up something else, far away at the back of the chamber._

_A pit. Full of spikes. It went down forever._

"No," Rey whispered. "No, this never happened. It can't have."

_"By the Whills," her father whispered. "She's... she's..."_

_"Spirit touched," her mother said. "Rey, come away from there."_

_The child walked over to them. The lights on the pyramids died down. The pit was hidden, but it was still there._

_She raised her arms towards her mother. "I don't feel good. Carry me?"_

_Her mother flinched away._

_Later, they were back home. But the child was sitting alone. Her parents talked in the dark, where they thought she couldn't hear._

_"What do we do?" her mother said._

_"We knew there was a reason no one else scavenged down there. They said there were spirits. We should have listened."_

_"But what do we do with_ her _?"_

_More time passed. Her parents didn't carry her anymore. Or touch her. There was less food._

_More words in the dark,_

_"I can't do this anymore," her mother said. "I can't keep doing this. We don't belong here."_

_"We'll never fix the ship. We can't save up enough parts to repair it or we'll starve. We don't have anything else to sell."_

_There was more quiet._

_The child closed her eyes peacefully._

"Oh, no," Rey said, who knew better. "Please, don't."

_Later, her mother and father were talking to an alien._

_"She's small still. She can get to things no one else can," her father was saying._

_There was a ship on the sand beyond them. It was all together, not in pieces._

_"Then why don't you want her?" the alien asked._

_Her parents exchanged glances. They had scared eyes._

_"We just don't want her anymore," her mother said._

_"Mamma," the child said. "What's going on?"_

_She reached for them. They both stepped away._

_"Your father and I are going on a trip."_

_The child bounced on her feet. "Far away?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Can I come too?"_

_Her mother looked away. "I can't do this."_

_Her father walked up to her. He didn't touch her. "We'll be back. This is Unkar Plutt." that was the alien. "He'll watch you."_

_"Oh. How long will you be gone?"_

_"We..."_

_Her parents looked at each other. Sad eyes, but still scared._

_"We'll come back for you, Rey."_

_"Okay," the child said, nodding understandingly. She also started to cry._

"Please don't leave me," Rey said.

_A ship flew away from Jakku._

_She watched it._

_"Come back!" she cried out.  
_

_Later again, and she was in a small room, made out of an old walker head. It was home now._

_She found a piece of chalk on the floor. She put a mark on the wall. One day._

_The sun set over the desert._

_Night fell._

_Two days._

_Then forever passed._

Rey slid to the ground.

"Now you see," Snoke said. "Now you see the truth."

Rey didn't respond. She just lay there.

"You wanted to be special, didn't you? You hoped in your secret heart that the story of you was one of wonder. That it would all pay off in the end. Perhaps you were a princess hidden away for her own safety. Perhaps your parents were Jedi Knights who ventured off on some long mission. How you dreamed. Did you ever wish Luke Skywalker was your father? How about Han Solo? But you always knew better, didn't you. You know there's no hope or easy way out in the desert. Your parents left you because you horrified them. Because you were too corrupt and broken to love. You were worth more to them as easy money. And it didn't stop there. You know that boy doesn't really love you. How could he? You're the first woman he'd ever seen outside of the First Order. How long before he sees you for what you really are and that childish infatuation fades away? The Resistance wants you for your powers and your blade. Even Skywalker wouldn't help you. The man who saved _Darth Vader_ wouldn't save you. You were too rotten even for him. And now here we are. I won't lie to you, child. I won't pretend to care. All I want is your power, and in exchange I'll let you drown in every sinful pleasure this galaxy has to offer. And eventually, the pain will grow so numb you will forget all about it. Trust me. I know."

Rey got up on her knees and wiped her eyes. "What if... what if I say no?"

"Then I will kill you. Power is rare in this galaxy, but it is not unique. It would be no great loss."

Rey's head fell into her hands.

"Look at you. So scared. I will teach you to let go of that first."

Rey let out a quiet chuckle. "You think I'm scared of you? I've slept alone in the desert. You think I'm scared of _you_?" she activated her lightsaber.

"So unwise," Snoke said. "Skywalker did not train you."

"He showed me enough. He showed me how to put this blade where it needs to go." she stabbed at Snoke suddenly.

He reeled back, a burn on his shoulder.

"Guess you're real enough to bleed," Rey said, standing. "I'm going to show you what real pain is."

Snoke lifted his hand. Shards of crystal broke off the walls and hovered around him, a halo of red knives.

He thrust them all at Rey.

She listened to their whistle through the air. She spun her blade. It hissed and spat as it struck the shards, scattering light through their facets. She deflected many of the blades. But many others stabbed into her, slashed her arms, her legs. Rey stumbled under the barrage.

She shouted and thrust her hand at Snoke. The floor shook. The great crystals on the walls cracked. Snoke crossed his arms in front of himself as the Force push hit. His robes billowed. He grunted.

"Strong. But still too untrained. Ah, what could have been." He twitched a finger and a crystal shard stabbed into Rey's knee. She fell. She didn't cry out.

Snoke moved his fingers and the shards whirled around. She swung her lightsaber at them, knocked some away. Most of them bit into her, pulled away, bit in again.

Rey threw her hands out, shouting, sending the shards shattering against the walls.

Snoke raised his hand. Lightning swirled in his palm. He unleashed a bolt at Rey. She raised her lightsaber. The impact blew it spinning from her hands.

"Before you die, I want you to know all your friends are next." Snoke fired another bolt.

Rey raised her hands in front of herself. She couldn't stop it. The lightning bolt blasted her off her feet. Thunder cracked in the confines of the mines. The crystals reflected the purple glow of the lightning. "You will die here, below the ground, in an abandoned mine on a forgotten world. And so will the Resistance. And Skywalker... oh, when he realizes what I truly am. I just can't wait."

He blasted Rey again. Lightning crackled across her body. She crawled away, towards the end of the cavern.

"There's nowhere to go," Snoke said.

Mist seemed to be rising from somewhere up ahead. It was tinged red.

And then, Rey knew it was there, even though she couldn't see it.

"No," she whispered. "Not here. It can't be _here_."

The pit was at the end of the cavern.

"What?" Snoke said. "What is this?"

From deep inside the pit something moved. A rotted hand clawed at the edge.

Something began pulling itself out.

A hooded figure in a tattered black robe.

The mist rose between Rey and Snoke.

"You can't trick me," Snoke thundered. "You cannot hide!"

"Hello," the thing in the hood said. "I've been waiting so long for this."

"W-who... what... what are you?" Rey said.

"Oh, nobody much," it said. "Just a boy from Naboo. Just a former Supreme Chancellor. No, no, nobody much. But I can help you."

"G-get away from me," she said.

"Oh, come now, Rey. You know that's impossible. This was always coming. Ever since we first met. My, how you've grown. When we saw your power, we knew. You would be the one. So many came through, each of them so weak. But you found us. It took a long time, but you found us."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, nothing important. Just a silly old story. A fairy tale, really. But he is going to kill you. Now. Unless you take what I am offering."

Snoke's massive footfalls grew closer.

"What... what are you offering?"

"What do you think, my dear Rey? Power," the figure extended a hand to her. "Unlimited power."

Snoke emerged from the mist, looming over Rey.

"Take my hand," the figure said. "Destroy the pretender."

Lightning cracked on Snoke's fingers.

Rey took the figure's hand.

She thrust her hand at Snoke. So did the figure.

Blue, swirling fire born of the Force left their hands, washing over Snoke.

He cried out, throwing his hands over his face. His Force projected form rippled. Then blew apart.

Rey sagged.

The pit was gone. So was the figure in the black robe.

"Today was the day, Rey," the voice of the figure whispered to her. "These are your first steps into a larger world."

Then all she heard was faint, echoing laughter.

Rey slid her back against the wall. She was still bleeding. Blood ran down over her eyes. She blinked rapidly to clear them. As she did, her vision blurred. It blurred, but she could see. She saw a green light. It was coming closer.

"Are you..." Rey said faintly, "Are you here to kill me?"

"What are you talking about, Rey?" Luke Skywalker said. "I'm here to rescue you."

She flinched away from him, "You hurt me more than... than almost anyone."

"I know. I'm sorry. But I'm here now. If you'll let me." Luke extended his hand to her.

She looked past Luke. Kylo Ren and Han Solo stood behind him.

"Han," she said, eyes lighting up. "Ben."

"It's okay, Rey. We're all here to help." Kylo said. he glanced sidelong at Luke. "For the moment."

Rey looked at Luke. "Are you really back? Are you really who I thought you were?"

"I wasn't for a while. But I am now. Mostly thanks to you reminding me."

Rey thought about it for a moment. Then she took Luke's hand. He pulled her up. She leaned against him. "I'm sorry I stopped believing in you."

"I didn't give you much choice," Luke said. He looked over Rey's wounds. "Snoke did this. Where is he?"

"I... He... Snoke's gone," she said.

Luke looked at her closely. "You drove him off all by yourself?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"That's impressive," Luke said. "Very impressive."

"But he's not dead," Kylo said, "Not yet."

"Kid," Han said. "Don't tell me your going back."

"I have to, Dad. I'm going to save Jaina. I'm going to learn the power Grandfather never could. I'm going to bring her home. I promise. And then," he looked at Luke and Rey. "And then I'll contact you. And we will destroy Snoke once and for all."

Luke nodded. "Until then." he offered his hand to Kylo.

Kylo ignored it. He hugged Han. "I'm sorry, Dad. About everything."

"It's okay, Ben. Well, except for stabbing me. I'm not over that yet."

Kylo chuckled softly, because it was easier than crying. "Tell Mom I love her. Be seeing you, Rey."

Kylo Ren walked away.

...

Outside, six TIE fighters screamed down out of space. Another ship, a freighter of some kind, was right on their tail.

"At last. Reinforcements." Hux said from the bridge of the _Finalizer._ "Contact the Republic ships. It's about time they paid the price for their insubordination."

"General," the officer said hesitantly. The man Hux had shot was still on the deck.

"What?"

"Why aren't they deploying from a star destroyer? Where's the rest of the fleet?"

"How the bloody hell should I know-"

And then Rogue Squadron opened fire on the _Finalizer_.

Mag pulse warheads first, then proton torpedoes at the exposed hull. Explosions rocked the _Finalizer._ They began picking off turbolasers before they could come online.

The freighter touched down at the back of the mountain, at the exit to the mines. The ramp lowered.

The last Resistance troops aimed their guns at the ramp.

Lando Calrissian stood at the top of the ramp.

"What are you all staring at? Get in here!" he said, gesturing at them.

Finn rushed up to Lando as the troops piled onto the ship.

"Lando!"

"Sorry about the Republic, kid. I never saw that coming. But we got here as fast as we could."

"We can't leave yet. Poe and the rest of the pilots are still out there. And Rey and Luke."

" _Luke_?" Lando said. "Really?"

"Really."

Lando sighed. "Guess we're waiting."

Poe's X-wing touched down a moment later, its engines smoking.

Hera and one other pilot who had survived from the ski speeders limped out of the tunnels shortly after. Zeb threw his arms around Hera.

"Everyone okay, buddy?" Poe said to Finn.

"Not yet," Finn said, watching the tunnel entrance.

"Wedge and the rest can't hold them off forever," Lando said.

Leia sat up on her gurney. "We wait." 

In orbit, three star destroyers dropped out of hyperspace.

"We have to pull out," Wedge commed from the cockpit of his TIE. "There's about to be too many of them and the Republic ships aren't helping out."

Luke, Rey and Han exited the tunnels, followed closely by Artoo, Threepio and Chewbacca.

A cheer went up from the troops.

Finn threw his arms around Rey as the ramp closed and the ship lifted off.

"You waited for me," Rey said.

"Of course we did." Finn frowned at her. "Why wouldn't we?"

"I... I don't know. For a little while I thought..." Rey shook her head. "Never mind."

Finn shrugged. "What took you guys so long, though?"

"We had to go back," Rey said."We forgot Threepio."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only the epilogue remains.


	14. Epilogue

**Crait**

Kylo Ren stood among the wreckage of the _Millennium Falcon_. Hux stood beside him.

"The Resistance is gone," Hux said. "Luke Skywalker has returned. The treaty with the Republic is hanging by a thread. And Phasma has escaped."

"I will miss her." Kylo said.

"She was a traitor, Ren."

"I know."

They stood in silence for a while.

"What do we do with this?" Hux gestured at the wreckage.

Kylo picked through the rubble. He pulled out a pair of dice connected by a chain, "Collect it and bring it to the _Finalizer_. Every piece."

**Ord Mantell**

The ramshackle Republic recruitment station sat at the edge of town.

A woman in a dusty traveler's coat entered.

The officer at the desk looked up from his nap.

"Oh, hi, there. My, you're a tall one," he said.

The woman began signing the holowork on the desk wordlessly.

"We haven't been seeing many people joining up for the Army nowadays," he continued. "After news of the treaty got out... and what we did at the Battle of Crait... well not many are eager to join up now. Much less a pretty young lady like you."

"Hm," the woman said. She kept signing.

"They say Luke Skywalker fought a whole army on Crait. They say he won. Can you believe that?"

"Hm," she said. She finished the holowork.

"Well," he sighed and looked it over. "That's that." he ran a scanner over her. He raised an eyebrow at the results. "Well, you certainly pass the fitness test. Who are you again?"

"No one," she said.

"Well, welcome to the Grand Army of the Republic, young lady. You're about to be deploying side by side with stormtroopers. Who would believe that?"

"Who indeed?" Phasma said. "Now, tell me, what kind of armor do you have?"

**First Order Space. The** **_Supremacy_ **

Kylo Ren entered Snoke's chambers.

Snoke was reclining in his throne. The room was otherwise empty. The floor was black and reflective. The walls were transparent, giving a 360 degree view of the stars.

"My apprentice," Snoke wheezed. He didn't sound healthy. Phantom burns from the Force fire on Crait still lingered on his face. "Time grows short. Our enemies multiply. Skywalker, that _girl_. And worst of all, as we have long feared, the ancient Sith are returning from the netherworld of the Force."

"And you," Kylo said. "Are weak."

As he watched watched, Snoke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, tapping into some power beyond even Kylo's comprehension. Life and death twisted, and Snoke's wounds closed. Snoke opened his eyes. "Weakness... is relative. Remember, Kylo Ren," Snoke tapped his forehead, "Everything your sister ever was is right here. Ready to be restored."

"Yes. Of course." Kylo said.

Outside the viewports, sleek black ships approached the _Supremacy_.

"The time has come to marshal our forces for the war to come," Snoke said. "The treaty will give us time to build our resources. And as for the last of the Jedi..."

The ships docked with the _Supremacy._

Figures in black armor and robes emerged from them.

"The Knights of Ren are reassembled," Snoke said. "Come, Kylo Ren. Let us make war on the Jedi."

**A Place Far, Far, Away**

Anakin Skywalker appeared in the swirling mist. It seemed to go on forever.

Another figure in a brown robe emerged from the mist.

"I'm proud of you, Anakin," Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

"Thank you, my old master."

"I'm still not sure about Ben Solo. The last time I put my trust in a young man with far too much anger and attachment, well, I rather had to cut him to pieces. And I ended up dead for the bargain."

"Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Never, Anakin, never."

"Gentlemen, please," a third voice said. Qui-gon Jinn emerged from the mist. "This bickering grew old many years ago. And we have serious matters to attend to."

"Yes, Master Qui-gon," Yoda said as he arrived. "Returning, our old enemies are. Dark, are the times coming."

"Yes," Qui-gon said. "Dark indeed."

Together in the mists beyond both time and death, the last of the old order of Jedi began making plans for what was to come.

**Space**

The freighter carrying the last of the Resistance flew through space.

In the hold, Luke Skywalker wrapped Leia in a hug. "Leia-" he started, voice shaking.

"You don't have to say anything," she said. "I already know." she laid her hand against his cheek, wiping away a stray tear with her thumb. "I'm just glad you're finally home."

Han walked over to join them. The three of them stood together for the first time since... before it had all fallen apart.

"I couldn't bring him back," Han finally said.

Leia squeezed her eyes closed. "He won't let her go. Luke, I know there's good in him. I've seen it. My son isn't gone. Do you think-?"

"He's made one step in the right direction. Where he goes from there... I think that's out of our hands now."

"Hey Luke," Lando said. "Long time."

"Lando. Nick of time, as always."

"That's me. But... I don't think I can save you from this one, buddy. The, ah, lady is in the cockpit."

"Oh," Luke said. He blanched.

"Oh, indeed."

"May the Force be with you, brother." Leia said, patting him on the arm.

"And good luck," Lando said.

"I'll need everything I can get." Luke said. He went to the cockpit, patting Rey on the arm as he went by.

He slid into the cockpit.

A woman with red hair was at the controls. She turned in her seat.

"Luke Skywalker," Mara Jade said.

"Mara," Luke said. "I... ah... I didn't know if you-"

She stood. She pushed him against the wall. "If you _ever_ walk out on me like that again," she said, "You're dead."

"This isn't the first time you've threatened to kill me." Luke said, "I just want to say I'm so sorry-"

"Shut up." 

She kissed him.

Luke waved the door closed.

...

In the hold, Poe talked with Tallie and Wedge.

Chewbacca caught Han in a hug.

"Lemme go, you big furball," Han gasped.

Threepio and Artoo rested in the corner.

"What are you going on about, Artoo-detoo?" Threepio said. "You most certainly did not 'drag Master Luke off his backside' and you know it. That is absolutely ridiculous. The nerve of you."

Artoo warbled at him.

"You are _insufferable_. Not like that BB-8 at all. He's a nice sort of fellow."

...

"I know it doesn't mean much, but you made me proud out there, buddy," Poe was saying to Finn.

Finn shook his head. "We lost. I barely got those men out of there with their lives. If Skywalker hadn't shown up..."

"This is the Resistance, Finn. Sometimes getting your men out alive is the only victory we have. Listen, you stood up when no one else could. That's a hell of a lot more than most people can say. And I know there's a few dozen people in this room who will never wonder whose side your on again."

Finn ducked his head, abashed. "It means more than you think."

...

Finn sat down beside Rey on a bench by the wall.

"How's your eyes?" Finn asked.

"Getting better." Rey patted his hand. "Everything's going to be fine, Finn."

"You really need bacta, Rey. You need lots of bacta."

"Not yet. I want to stay a little longer."

"You got _stabbed_?" Lando was saying to Han. "I warned you, man. I warned you a long time ago. Never have kids."

Han punched him on the arm. "Buddy, for once you're almost right about something. Almost."

Luke and Mara emerged from the cockpit.

"-I spent a long time looking, honey," Mara was saying. "I found whispers, but nothing more. I don't know if there's anyone else left."

"I know," Luke said. He nodded at Rey. "We won't be the last of the Jedi, Mara. Not if I can help it."

Rey looked up. Kylo Ren's presence was in the room. Luke looked up as well.

Kylo nodded at them both.

Leia and Han were sitting together on another bench.

Leia shoved Han on the arm. "Move over," she said.

He spread his arms in confusion.

"Just do it," she said.

Han slid over.

Kylo sat down between them.

Leia reached over and took his hand in hers.

Finn looked around the room.

"There's what, forty of us left, Rey," he said, "Maybe in the whole galaxy. Snoke is still around. The Republic's against us now. Ever wonder what would have happened if we'd just kept running back at Maz's castle?"

"No," Rey said simply. She leaned against Finn and wrapped her arms around him. "Everything's perfect."

"Rey, you're still bleeding all over the place. How can you say that?"

"Why do you think, Finn?"

Luke leaned against the wall, one arm around Mara. The droids continued bickering in the corner. Poe waved at Finn and Rey from beside Wedge and Tallie. Ben Solo's presence sat between Han and Leia. Chewbacca squeezed in on the end of the bench beside them. In the cockpit, Lando set a course. The engines powered up and the ship shot into the stars.

Rey squeezed Finn. "My family finally came back for me."

**End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end. Thanks for bearing with me this long.
> 
> I have, however, lied to you. This isn't actually the end. I will be writing a sequel; this wouldn't be a very good trilogy if it ended at the second film after all. My rendition of Episode 9 will be coming... sometime. Writing these things is very time consuming and I want it to be the best it can be before I start posting it, but I'll be starting work on the first draft immediately.
> 
> In the mean time, I do have some other fanfic on my hard drive I'll probably be posting. I've got a complete Batman vs. Superman rewrite, among other things, so if you like my work I hope you'll check that out when I start posting it.
> 
> I also write original work. I'm working on my first novel. It's a very long science/fantasy book that I'm currently halfway through the second draft of. I have a (fairly little used) Tumblr account where I plan on posting some samples of my original stuff, as well as all my fan fic. https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tessallationazure.
> 
> And with the shameless plugging out of the way, thank you for reading and goodbye.


End file.
